Latin American Society Today

First published in 1995. This book serves as an introduction to Latin American society. As it covers a very broad topic, the aim is to acquaint the reader with some of the major issues and debates concerning Latin American society, offering references which can be used to follow up points in more detail if desired.

The volume takes a broad view of recent social, political, and economic developments in Latin America. It contains six essays, focused on salient and cross-cutting themes, that try to construct a thread or narrative about the highly diverse region, highlighting its main idiosyncrasies and analyzing where it might be headed in coming years. While the essays recognize considerable advances, they also point out setbacks and missed opportunities that have stood in the way of sustained progress. Strengthening state capacity emerges as a significant challenge.

This Element presents the main characteristics of the current social structure in Latin America. We focus on demographic trends, migration, families, incomes, education, health and housing, and examine the general policy trends for all of these issues. Our main questions are: What is the social structure in Latin America like today? What changes have taken place in recent decades, particularly since the turn of the millennium? We argue that although in some dimensions there are continuities, including the persistence of problems from the past, we believe that the Latin American social structure, viewed as a whole, experienced significant transformations.

First Published in 2003. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

An engaging introduction to Latin America with a fresh, thematic approach to key political and social issues. This accessible undergraduate textbook examines the entirety of the region, addressing complex issues in a clear and direct manner. Grounded in cutting-edge research and data, concepts are illustrated through tables, maps, and timelines.

Based on the work of twenty renowned experts from the region, this ground-breaking book traces the new face of Latin America using clear, straightfoward language that is accessible to a general audience. The current panorama in the region creates new opportunities and dangers for social cohesion in democracy and a revitalized critical approach is needed to arrive at a global interpretation of the social dynamics in Latin America.

"Devoting particular emphasis to Bolivia, Chile, and Mexico, proposes a theory of civil society to explain the economic and political challenges for continuing democratization in Latin America"--Provided by publisher.