ANTH 037C. Anti-Corruption Politics in Latin America & the Caribbean

Anti-corruption discourse has become one of the salient modes of articulating claims for justice and against political, financial, and corporate power in contemporary Latin America & the Caribbean. In fact, the mobilization of anti-corruption discourse in the region has become an undeniable force capable of toppling governments, sending corporate executives to prison, and bringing masses to the streets demanding change. What is the relation between today’s “wars” against corruption and ongoing transformations of political and economic power in Latin America & the Caribbean? How has anti-corruption discourse reshaped imaginaries of political transformation and emancipatory politics in the region? Rather than assuming a singular definition of corruption, this course explores it as a powerful concept that is not simply or neutrally defined by law or morality - one with a complex history linked to colonialism and imperialism, as well as to changing ideas of democracy and justice. Through our readings and discussions, we will develop critical and analytical tools to interrogate the long-standing stereotype of Latin America as inherently “corrupt” and how this stereotype is mobilized in the present. We will advance this critical work through exploring concrete cases that show the significance of anti-corruption politics as a tool for accountability and change.
Social sciences.
1 credit.
Eligible for LALS, ESCH, GLBL-core
Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology
Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology

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