UF Center for Latin American Studies
SPRING 2024
Days: Thursdays
Times: 1:55pm-4:55pm
Location: Fine Arts Building C 0120
This course has the dual purpose of familiarizing students with the most important development policy issues in Latin America and the world, as well as providing them with important tools for analyzing economic development policy. The first part of the class will invite students to reflect on the question: what is economic development and how is development economics used to examine and explain it? We will go through a history tour to understand how ideas about economic development have been shaped resulting in economic policy frameworks that shape development in specific countries. The class will examine in detail the socioeconomic and political context in the region. A core part of the class consists of examining the strong relationship that exists between markets and institutions; we will review the importance of institutions (embedded within political systems) on economic development, and provide a framework for institutional analysis. Last, part of the class will focus on the understanding of economic development models and the implementation of key development measures (Income, Poverty, Inequality, Vulnerability, Human Development).
Pilar Useche
Center for Latin American Studies
Department of Food and Resource Economics
1091 McCarty Hall
P.O. Box 110240
Gainesville, FL 32611-0240
E-mail: useche@ufl.edu
Tel: 352-392-1826 ext. 430
Research Interests
Development studies, sustainable economic development, agricultural economics, intra-household dynamics, gender and youth, experimental economics, food security and nutrition
Geographic Expertise
Andean Countries, Central America
