Political Violence and the Construction of National Identity in Latin America [Hardcover]

Will Fowler (Author), Peter Lambert (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 28, 2006

This highly topical volume seeks to analyze the intimate but under-studied relationship between the construction of national identity in Latin America and the violent struggle for political power that has defined Latin American history since independence. The theoretical framework is complemented by a series of tightly structured and fascinating case studies, written by an international team of specialists and spanning a range of Latin American countries. The result is an original and fascinating contribution to an increasingly important field of study.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This intriguing book reminds us of the continuing power of national imaginaries to generate and orchestrate violence, and of how much violence is an integral part of not only authoritarian, but also liberal, regimes. Fowler and Lambert have put together an impressive interdisciplinary collection that combines illuminating theoretical overviews with wide-ranging and engaging case studies. An important book for all students of nationalism and violence."

--Peter Wade, Professor of Social Anthropology, University of Manchester

 

"Fowler and Lambert have put together a fascinating collection of essays on one of the most contested topics in the current debate about Latin America: the role of political violence in the construction of national identity. This collaborative text by experts on Latin America offers rich insights into the historical roots of nationalism in the region, as well as a theoretical framework for assessing the most recent political developments from Mexico to Argentina."

--Abdiel Oñate, Professor of History, Director of the Latin American Area Studies Program, San Francisco State University

 

"Each selection in this collection is original and presents associations between political violence and national identities in modern Latin America. The internal coherence and theoretical cogency of the volume reveals an innovative approach for organizing Latin American history in general, which will stimulate both classroom discussion and specialist debate. You could construct a course around this book."

--Timothy E. Anna, Distinguished Professor of History, University of Manitoba

About the Author

Peter Lambert is Senior Lecturer in Spanish and Latin American Studies at the University of Bath. He worked as a political researcher in Paraguay between 1987 and 1991. He was co-editor of The Transition to Democracy in Paraguay (MacMillan 1997) the only edited analysis of the transition in English, and has published widely on various aspects of Paraguayan politics.
Will Fowler is Reader in Latin American Studies at the University of St Andrews where he is Head of the Department of Spanish. He has published numerous articles on Mexico and has edited six volumes on Latin American political history. He is the author of Mexico in the Age of Proposals, 1821-1853 (Westport, 1998), Tornel and Santa Anna. The Writer and the Caudillo, Mexico 1795-1853 (Westport, 2000), and Latin America 1800-2000 (London, 2002). He has recently completed a biography of Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna (1794-1876).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; annotated edition edition (November 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403973881
• ISBN-13: 978-1403973887
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,586,371 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)