Introduction to Latin American Studies
An MIT OpenCourseWare undergraduate course surveying Latin American politics and society, requiring no prior background on the region. The syllabus moves through the political and social forces that have shaped the region, from colonial legacies to modern democratization struggles and economic development debates, drawing on readings, class discussion, and written assignments comparable in workload to other MIT HASS-D courses. Materials include the full reading list, assignment prompts, and exam structure as used in the actual MIT classroom. The course is positioned as a broad entry point, with pointers to more specialized MIT offerings on Latin American literature, the conquest of the Americas, ancient Andean and Mesoamerican civilizations, and the political economy of the region for students who want to go deeper into any single theme. All course materials are free to access under MIT's open license, with no certificate offered.