http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/latin-america Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Fri, 23 Oct 2026 03:24:23 -0400 Fri, 23 Oct 2026 03:24:23 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1790/linguistic-essentialism-and-indigenous-authenticity-the-role-of-indigenous-languages-in-defining-indigeneity By Ella Agoos - Since the European invasion of Latin America in the sixteenth century, the concept of indigeneity has been inherently political. In what can only be described as an ongoing ethnocide, colonial powers did everything they could to stomp out the rich diversity of indigenous cultures throughout the land while imposing their Western Christian values upon colonized groups. After centuries of being denied their own culture, indigenous groups now struggle to preserve their surviving cultural practices. One such element of culture that many indigenous peoples see as tied directly to their identities is... Mon, 07 Sep 2020 10:03 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1790/linguistic-essentialism-and-indigenous-authenticity-the-role-of-indigenous-languages-in-defining-indigeneity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1706/the-body-as-a-weapon-of-resistance-in-postcolonial-short-stories-the-cases-of-augusto-monterroso-and-zulema-de-la-rand#250;a-fernand#225;ndez By Kyle S. McQuillan - The arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the “New World” at the end of the fifteenth century triggered an age of violence, oppression, and colonization that lasted until the United States took the stage as a modern colonial power in 1898. Overt colonization was transformed and reinvented as neocolonialism under the guise of “international policy” written with the intention of controlling the entirety of the Western Hemisphere. The economic, social, and political systems put in place by the Spanish, and later the Americans in the postcolonial period, are still tangible in... Mon, 20 Nov 2017 10:28 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1706/the-body-as-a-weapon-of-resistance-in-postcolonial-short-stories-the-cases-of-augusto-monterroso-and-zulema-de-la-rand#250;a-fernand#225;ndez http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1517/navigating-the-leftist-spectrum-in-argentina-an-economic-classification-of-the-kirchner-era By Matt Finkel - Argentina’s economic policies under Nestor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner were hugely impactful in the country’s recovery and general development, yet the Kirchner administrations are often painted with the same broad leftist brush often used to categorize Latin American governments. This kind of blanketed cataloguing obscures the economic nuances of important features of Argentina’s governance like social safety nets, market openness, and property rights. This report will classify Kirchnerism in a more appropriate context, measured against economic policy... Sun, 08 Jan 2017 03:10 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1517/navigating-the-leftist-spectrum-in-argentina-an-economic-classification-of-the-kirchner-era http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1563/latin-americas-female-prisoner-problem-how-the-war-on-drugs-feminization-of-poverty-and-female-liberation-contribute-to-mass-incarceration-of-women By Gretchen Cloutier - According to the International Centre for Prison Studies, the number of women in prisons in Latin America has almost doubled since the 1990s. Most women in prison are incarcerated for drug related crimes, and although women are still a minority within the prison population, the number of women behind bars is growing disproportionately in comparison to men. Simultaneously, Latin American states are implementing harsh drug criminalization policies in accordance with the global War on Drugs. Scholars have theorized that women commit crimes due to both societal liberation and out of economic necessity... Sat, 31 Dec 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1563/latin-americas-female-prisoner-problem-how-the-war-on-drugs-feminization-of-poverty-and-female-liberation-contribute-to-mass-incarceration-of-women http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1570/rationally-irrational-applying-the-rational-actor-model-to-rio-de-janeiros-police-gang-conflict By Amber Waltz - Both gangs and police in Rio de Janeiro seemingly operate irrationally in an extended conflict, as it is highly unlikely that the state will make drug dealing legal, and it is also unlikely that gangs would be able to destroy the police through armed force. This article attempts to determine why favela gangs and police became and are still engaged in a conflict with what some see as an inevitable outcome, using the rational actor model to determine the motivations and strategies of each side. This article finds that because gangs understand their importance to Rio's society and depend on the income... Tue, 31 May 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1570/rationally-irrational-applying-the-rational-actor-model-to-rio-de-janeiros-police-gang-conflict http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1416/transitional-justice-in-ongoing-conflict-colombias-integrative-approach-to-peace-and-justice By Maria A. Van Nievelt - In September 2013, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos told the United Nations General Assembly that those affected by the Colombian conflict are "entitled to justice, to the truth, to reparation, to non-repetition." Interestingly, Santos echoed these rights—some of the core ideals of transitional justice—in a speech primarily intended to secure endorsement for his government's ongoing peace talks with the FARC-EP,3 Colombia's main insurgent group. The president acknowledged the difficulty of negotiating an end to a complex intrastate problem while simultaneously fulfilling the... Mon, 23 May 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1416/transitional-justice-in-ongoing-conflict-colombias-integrative-approach-to-peace-and-justice http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/813/nada-es-sencilla-un-anand#225;lisis-de-cinco-peliculas-almodovareand#241;as By Jen Gulas - A pesar de la variación en material sujeto, las películas largometrajes del Pedro Almodóvar contienen elementos que contribuyen similares al fórmula del éxito que lo ha sostenido Almodóvar como al cineasta estreno, el creador del altamente aclamado reciente trabajos La Mala Educación y Volver, confían pesadamente en desarrollar producciones multigéneras, junto con el exhibir el negocio inacabado de un carácter, para resultar un producto brillante. Por ejemplo, Carne trémula demuestra a vencedor del protagonista, que acaba... Fri, 22 Nov 2013 02:35 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/813/nada-es-sencilla-un-anand#225;lisis-de-cinco-peliculas-almodovareand#241;as http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/755/mexican-drug-activity-economic-development-and-unemployment-in-a-rational-choice-framework By David J. Masucci - From his inauguration in 2005 to the end of his presidency in 2012, Mexican President Felipe Calderon presided over one of the most violent periods in his country’s history. Making good on one of his election promises, Calderon unleashed the country’s military against drug trafficking organizations (DTO’s) and other criminal gangs who usurped authority from local governments in the northern and western parts of the country. The result has been a brutal and sustained war between Mexico’s security forces and the drug cartels. U.S. media outlets report daily violence from... Thu, 05 Sep 2013 12:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/755/mexican-drug-activity-economic-development-and-unemployment-in-a-rational-choice-framework http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/728/peron-and-the-people-democracy-and-authoritarianism-in-juan-perons-argentina By Katherine J. Wolfenden - Although the ‘Perónist Years’ amounted to a little less than a decade, Juan Perón’s presidency had long-lasting effects. As historians Matthew B. Karush and Oscar Carosa write, “Perón transformed Argentina’s economy, its social structure, and its political culture in ways that continue to shape Argentine reality.”[1] Perón’s political actions and his legacy, however, cannot be easily characterized; Perón was a populist politician who provided for and was supported by the masses, yet his regime was in many ways authoritarian... Tue, 19 Feb 2013 09:43 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/728/peron-and-the-people-democracy-and-authoritarianism-in-juan-perons-argentina http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1613/the-educational-gender-gap-in-latin-america-why-some-girls-do-not-attend-school By Elise Roberts - Girl's education is universally recognized in the International Development community as an important aspect of development. Educating a woman has a significant impact on her opportunities and her community as a whole. Despite the many positive effects of educating girls, girls attend school at a lower rate than boys, creating a gender gap in education. My question is, what causes this gender gap in education? To study this phenomenon, I created four categories of causes: patriarchal factors, family factors, structural factors and governmental financial investment. A number of proxy variables... Mon, 31 Dec 2012 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1613/the-educational-gender-gap-in-latin-america-why-some-girls-do-not-attend-school http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/681/public-opinion-democracy-and-the-economy-case-studies-from-the-southern-cone By Jacob R. Elsen - Utilizing 2009 data from the Latinobarómetro public opinion survey and bivariate statistical methods, this study assesses the degree to which respondents’ evaluations of both national economic conditions and their personal economic conditions are associated with their overt and intrinsic support for democracy in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. This study finds that the three overt support for democracy variables employed in this analysis were highly volatile, both when compared among themselves and when compared across the countries sampled. The five intrinsic support variables... Sun, 19 Aug 2012 10:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/681/public-opinion-democracy-and-the-economy-case-studies-from-the-southern-cone http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1621/the-impact-of-the-zapatista-movement-on-womens-rights-in-chiapas-mexico By Gina Weires - This paper seeks to determine the impact the Zapatista Movement had on women's rights in Chiapas, Mexico. I hypothesized that the movement positively, but indirectly, impacted women's rights in Chiapas by causing increased awareness of the issues in the region and influencing various aid and development organizations to begin women's rights work there since the start of the movement in 1994. Twelve non-profit nongovernmental women's aid organizations with no political or religious affiliation were selected for analysis. Using content analysis of the NGOs' websites, each organization was determined... Thu, 31 May 2012 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1621/the-impact-of-the-zapatista-movement-on-womens-rights-in-chiapas-mexico http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1620/a-new-missionary-method-latin-america-as-a-mission-field By Angela Budzinski - Missionary work has been an integral part of community development in Latin America. However, does missionary work actually impact community development in Latin America today? While missionary methods, particularly holistic missiology, were significant to community development in the past, new, modern methods of development have evolved that do not include religion; consequently, this has largely discontinued the use of missionary work in development. This research is important because it examines whether holistic missiology is still relevant as a method of community development and whether it... Thu, 31 May 2012 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1620/a-new-missionary-method-latin-america-as-a-mission-field http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/506/living-on-the-streets-the-street-children-of-brazil By Hilary E. O'Haire - The existence of street children is most often viewed as a significant problem, stripping youth of their humanity and burdening them with the everyday concern of survival. It is easy to analyze this complicated issue objectively, yet the actual experiences of the children are just as easily lost. It is therefore necessary to approach the subject with the inclusion of contextual information regarding the problem. Statistical evidence provides only a narrow view of the problem. Through a combination of both numbers and context, the many problems contributing to their existence can be addressed.... Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:59 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/506/living-on-the-streets-the-street-children-of-brazil http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/399/human-rights-truth-commissions-and-anthropology-in-latin-america By Malissa Candland - As a whole, anthropologists have devoted little effort to studying mass violence and terror and even though they recently have begun embracing it as a legitimate area of study, little anthropological work has been completed (Sanabria 352). Yet systematic violence has been a common theme in much of Latin America and has affected the lives of millions of Latin Americans. By studying the social, political and cultural consequences of this violence on the lives of Latin Americans, anthropologists can inject an important analysis into the origins and consequences of mass violence and how nations and... Wed, 02 Mar 2011 08:56 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/399/human-rights-truth-commissions-and-anthropology-in-latin-america http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1108/social-change-in-venezuela By Alex Serafimov - This study will show that, at a national level, there is a process of innovative democratic structures being set up. For example, 30,000 Communal Councils and over 60,000 workers’ cooperatives have been established and tentative steps towards workers’ self-management have been made. On a regional level, Venezuela has been central in implementing and hosting new international institutions. One example is the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA),1 a heterodox political, economic and social cooperative organisation innovatively including social movements in its decision... Tue, 01 Feb 2011 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1108/social-change-in-venezuela http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/7/causes-for-the-guatemalan-civil-war-as-seen-in-paradise-in-ashes-by-beatriz-manz By David Pierce - The civil war in Guatemala was the longest struggle in modern Latin American history, spanning decades from the late 1950s to the 1990s, and leading to deadly armed conflict between government and rebel militias that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and made millions of others homeless.[1] This struggle was one with its roots planted in the grossly unequal distribution of wealth that had existed in Guatemalan society for many years, and this fact served as an undertone throughout the conflict. In Beatriz Manz’s book, Paradise in Ashes, Manz uses first person accounts from a small but... Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:43 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/7/causes-for-the-guatemalan-civil-war-as-seen-in-paradise-in-ashes-by-beatriz-manz http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1304/united-states-policy-and-latin-america-an-interview-with-former-secretary-general-of-the-organization-of-american-states By Luigi R. Einaudi - The United States under the new administration has a chance to develop the good foreign policy towards Latin America it needs. But it first needs a good global foreign policy. The United States, after all, has a global reach and global involvements. Latin American countries do too, even if to a lesser extent. I recommend no special policy for Latin America. The United States needs a global policy, before defining regional policies. US global policy has been a failure in the last years. It has not supported international rule of law. It has not fostered cooperation on global issues beyond its immediate... Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1304/united-states-policy-and-latin-america-an-interview-with-former-secretary-general-of-the-organization-of-american-states http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1297/a-tale-of-two-countries-lessons-from-the-latin-quest-for-the-balance-of-equity-progress-and-freedom By Francis J. Pedraza - In 1917 foreign oil companies came to Venezuela to start drilling in the shallow waters of Lake Maracaibo.1 By 1928 Venezuela had emerged as the world’s top oil exporter, and this touched off a wider economic boom.2 Visionaries saw an opportunity to turn a profit outside the oil sector by laying the foundations of a modern economy. Standard Oil heir Nelson Rockefeller, for example, founded the International Basic Economy Corporation (IBEC) to channel venture capital into Venezuelan fishing, agriculture, and supermarkets.3 Local businessmen were invited to become shareholders to “teach... Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1297/a-tale-of-two-countries-lessons-from-the-latin-quest-for-the-balance-of-equity-progress-and-freedom