INTL 242 - Brazil and Amazonia at Risk

1 unit(s)

(Same as AFRS 242, GEOG 242 and LALS 242) The vast Amazon Basin lies mainly in Brazil, the giant of Latin America. Along with the bordering Andean countries, Brazil’s regional development programs have aggressively expanded transportation, in-migration, agribusiness, and resource extraction into Amazonia. Related deforestation has increasingly transformed the Amazon into soy plantations and savanna grasslands. Besides putting local environments and populations at risk, including native and migrant residents, the regional transformation has changed climates near and far. This course investigates the interrelated political ecologies of Amazonia, Brazil, South America, and world systems. Specific topics for study include the legacies of colonial Brazil; race relations, Afro-Brazilian cultures, and Indigenous peoples; urban-industrial growth and national integration; environmental devastation and sustainability; and long-run prospects for more equitable development in Brazil. Brian Godfrey.

Prerequisite(s): A previous course in social sciences.

Two 75-minute periods.

Not offered in 2025/26.

Course Format: CLS