Soul of Latin America: The Cultural and Political Tradition

FROM THE PUBLISHER

To understand Latin America's political culture, and to understand why it differs so greatly from that of the United States, one must look beyond the political history of the region, Howard J. Wiarda explains in this comprehensive book. A highly respected expert on Latin American politics, Wiarda explores a sweeping array of Iberian and Latin American social, economic, institutional, cultural, and religious factors from ancient times to the twentieth century. He illuminates the distinctive political attitudes and traditions of Latin America as well as the unique -- and not widely understood -- features of present-day Latin American models of democracy.

While Ibero-American and Western liberal traditions draw from the same classical thinkers, they often emphasize different ideas and reach different conclusions, Wiarda contends. He traces the influences of Rome, Islam, medieval Christianity, the Reconquest, and Iberian feudalism, and the powerful but largely unacknowledged effects of the Counter-Reformation on Iberian and Latin American civilizations. The author concludes with a discussion of recent changes in political culture and an assessment of the strength of democracy's hold in the nations of Latin America.

FROM THE CRITICS

Choice

[A] comprehensive synopsis of defining ideas in Latin America. . . Highly recommended.

Paul E. Sigmund

Detailed and sweeping, this book provides a provocative account of the distinctive character of the Latin American political tradition.

David J. Myers

The Soul of Latin America challenges conventional wisdom in the United States and northern Europe concerning Ibero-America�s political thought and traditions. This book has powerful implications for U.S. foreign policy in Latin America.

Publishers Weekly

Wiarda's scope, to say the least, is wide: he covers a broad range of Iberian and Latin American history in a rather compact text, swiftly and with a surprising and impressive amount of detail. It is a puzzle and a paradox, then, that he can at once provide many specifics concerning, say, Jos Enrique Rod , the early 20th century Uruguayan writer, while at the same time insisting on treating Latin America "as a whole, as a civilization, as a culture area," often returning to the idea that his efforts are "aimed at presenting the big picture." Something about Wiarda's tone becomes quickly irksome. His explanations are at times too generalized to swallow whole. His theory, simply put, is that the Latin American political structure grew out of the Spanish and Portuguese structures that were based primarily on feudal, top-down philosophies of government. Latin America has continued this tradition, he says, as well as the El Cid/Don Quixote tradition of the caudillo the military leader riding his great white charger, saber raised high which is how Wiarda describes Fidel Castro. What stands out in Wiarda's text, however, is his analysis of the revolutions, why they succeeded, and why they more often failed, and his descriptions of the four major "ism"s present in 19th- and 20th-century Latin America positivism, nationalism, Marxism, corporatism. Clearly, Wiarda, a professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, hopes to clarify the Latin American political situation, making it easier for North Americans to understand. With his strengths in political, rather than historical, analysis, he provides an insightful beginning text for anyone interested in Latin America or any of its very different countries. (Apr.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Booknews

In what is sure to become a new core text for classes on Latin American politics, Wiarda (University of Massachusetts, Amherst) illuminates the political traditions of Latin America by examining first their earliest influences (e.g., Rome, Islam, medieval Christianity, the Reconquest, Iberian feudalism, and the Counter- Reformation), then the effect of modern ideologies such as positivism, Marxism, and corporatism. His final chapters discuss the special character of Latin American democracy and thoughts on the future. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Paul E. Sigmund

Detailed and sweeping, this book provides a provocative account of the distinctive character of the Latin American political tradition. — Princeton University

David J. Myers

The Soul of Latin America challenges conventional wisdom in the United States and northern Europe concerning Ibero-America's political thought and traditions. This book has powerful implications for U.S. foreign policy in Latin America.  — Pennsylvania State University

ACCREDITATION

Howard J. Wiarda is Leonard Horwitz Professor of Iberian and Latin American Studies, professor of political science, and professor of comparative labor relations at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is also senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.