UF Center for Latin American Studies
Days: Mondays
Times: 4:05 - 7:05 pm
Location: Grinter 376
Course description
After the elections of Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro and the insurrections in their names against electoral fraud, scholars, pundits, politicians, and even retired military debated on the relationships between populism and fascism. Does using the term rightwing populism normalize and absolves the radical right from its potential fascism? Is a leader enough to label a movement fascist? Does using the term fascism tribalize a term that explains well a particular historical period? What are the similarities and differences between these isms and their effects on democracy? This seminar explores debates on the relationships of populism with fascism.
The first part of the class explores different conceptual and epistemological understandings of populism and fascism. Are they better understood as ideologies, political strategies, manifestations of charisma, or political logics? Does it make sense to use these contested categories, or as critics argue shall we abandon these terms?
The second part of the seminar analyzes their similarities and differences, and their relationship with democratization. The course uses cases from Latin America, Europe, and the US.
Carlos de la Torre
319B Grinter Hall
P.O. Box 115530
Gainesville, FL 32611-5530
E-mail: delatorre.carlos@latam.ufl.edu
Tel: 352-273-4703
Fax: 352-392-7682
Research Interests
Populism, democratization, and authoritarianism; racism and citizenship in the Americas.
Geographic Expertise
Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia
