Family and Childhood in Latin America 00-FF-FCL

Latin America is the most unequal region in the world. This inequality has historical roots and affects every aspect of life, including family patterns. Social disadvantage emerges in every category of family formation and impacts trends such as early union formation and childbearing, cohabitation, single motherhood, and union dissolution. Geohistorical legacies are also important in understanding family diversity in Latin America. At the individual level, ethnicity and religion frequently interact with themselves and with education, adding endless variations to the relationship between social status and family behavior.
We will analyze these trends and patterns, together with theoretical discussions such as whether parenting is cultural or nature based, the evolutionary developmental approach to parenting, the cultural approach to parenting, associated with the variation in values and norms relevant in a given society, and trends in contemporary parenting, mostly based on the change of the child's position in the society supported by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and its impact and in Latin America in terms of public policies, parental behaviors and attitude towards children, as well as practices that foster the child's well-being and optimal development.
This seminar will address key sociocultural and historical factors influencing family structures and parenting practices in Latin America. As it will be taught in English speakers, the content and language objectives are designed to ensure comprehension, critical thinking, and active engagement.
Objectives:

-Understand Latin America's Historical Inequality: We will explore the historical roots of inequality in Latin America and its influence on family patterns and societal structures.
-Identify Family Formation Trends: we will analyze how social disadvantage impacts family dynamics, such as early union formation, childbearing, cohabitation, single motherhood, and union dissolution.
-Examine the Role of Ethnicity, Religion, and Education: We will Investigate how ethnicity, religion, and education interact to shape family behaviors and contribute to family diversity across the region.
-Explore Parenting Approaches: we will discuss theoretical perspectives on parenting, such as the nature vs. culture debate and the evolutionary developmental approach, and how they apply to Latin American contexts.
-Analyze the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: we will study the impact of the 1989 UN Convention on children's rights on public policies and parenting behaviors in Latin America, focusing on child well-being and development.
-Evaluate Contemporary Parenting Trend: we will explore the changing role of children in society and how these shifts have influenced contemporary parenting practices and public attitudes.

At the same time we will improve our academic vocabulary in English, develop critical reading skills, enhance listening and speaking skills and write structured reflections, using academic language to summarize and analyze seminar discussions.