Latin America Its Problems and Its Promise A Multidisciplinary Introduction [Paperback]

Now in a fifth edition, Latin America has been updated to reflect the region's growing optimism as economies stabilize, trade diversifies, and political systems become more participatory. This multidisciplinary survey of Latin American history, politics, and society features invited contributions from authorities in a variety of fields. New sections address current events including deforestation in Costa Rica and Brazil, emerging social movements, Ecuador's new constitution, and Obama's stated objectives to repair U.S. relations with the region. In addition, key topics (such as women and Latin American politics, socialist governments and anti-American sentiment, Argentina's deteriorating economy, and Colombia's struggle with military and narcotics issues) receive expanded and revitalized treatment. Other updated material covers outcomes of recent elections in Bolivia, Brazil, and Nicaragua, among others. Through a hybrid thematic and regional organization, this text provides an essential foundation for introductory courses on Latin America.

1. Introduction: Latin America Leading the Learning Curve [Jan Knippers Black]

Part 1: The Land and the People

2 Landscape and Settlement Patterns [Alfonso Gonzalez]

3 The Indian Populations of Latin America [Karl H. Schwerin]

4 A Harmonizing and Disharmonizing Human and Natural Environments [David Stea and G. Shane Lewis]

Part 2: Historical Setting

5. Colonial Latin America [Peter Bakewell]

6. Latin America Since Independence: An Overview [Michael Conniff]

Part 3: Economic and Social Structures

7. Latin American Economies Restructure, Again [William P. Glade]

8. Social Structure and Change in Latin America[Henry Veltmeyer and Jals#