AMER0108 Environment and Science in the Making of Modern Latin America

***MODULE NOT RUNNING IN 2025/26***

Tutor: To be confirmed

Outline

This module examines the relationships between humans and environments which have shaped modern Latin America from a historical perspective. Students will explore how societies have utilised scientific approaches to understand and manage environments. They will engage with major debates such as the relationship between science and imperialism, local and global knowledge cultures, and the political and cultural significance of science, technology and medicine. Students will develop an appreciation of the historical roots of contemporary issues such as food security, biodiversity, and the relationship between environment, public health, technology, and development.

The module provides an introduction to the rapidly growing historiography of environment and science in Latin America, and takes a multifaceted approach to the question of how societies have engaged with economic, health, territorial, and aesthetic aspects of the natural world. It will be structured thematically, highlighting case studies and debates from across Latin America in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It will include topics such as the role of scientists and scientific institutions in shaping nation-states, including the study of natural resources and territorial claims; the relationship between science, environment and modernity in historical policies related to both cities and rural areas; the emergence of the field of tropical science and medicine as a scientific and cultural phenomenon; business and political aspects of agricultural research and environmental management; water management and sanitation; and the role of transnational organisations such as the Rockefeller Foundation.

Assessment

Assessment methods vary from module to module and are subject to change.  Please email ia-programmes@ucl.ac.uk for further information.