Latin American Cultures

Latin American Cultures, First Edition provides an introduction to the varied and diverse cultural groups of Latin America, through a political-economic lens, as it examines the role of European expansion and market forces in shaping the development of Latin American regions. Philip Young and Lois Stanford make apparent the role of local forces, cultural identities, and community strategies in responding to external forces and powerful actors. Their exploration of the region's cultural diversity includes a broad spectrum of "traditional" cultures, ranging from the persistence of pre-Hispanic beliefs and practices in indigenous Andrea communities to the complex recognition of African identity in Caribbean nations. Case studies in the regional chapters (Chs 4-9) provide historical context, descriptions of traditional cultures, recent socio-economic and political changes, and examine current issues with a view to exploring general patterns common to the region. The anthropological perspective places the case studies within the conditions and structural limitations imposed by external and more powerful agents, but it does not dismiss local efforts to resist and to define their own local culture, emphasizing the persistence of cultural survival and adaptation in the face of globalization. Written for an audience unfamiliar with the political and economic history of Latin America, this book will help the curious to better understand and appreciate the contemporary diversity, as well as the historical patterns, that are represented in Latin American cultures.