• Iberoamérica
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.241-265
• /
• 2010

The main purpose of this study is to reveal the historical origins of Latin American economic underdevelopment, by answering two research questions; 1)'Why is Latin America underdeveloped?' and 2)'How has colonial experience impacted on the economic growth in Latin America?' First, this essay analyzes long-term tendency of growth domestic product(GDP) per capita data. The data verify that current underdevelopment of Latin American economy is the result of economic stagnation during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when Latin America suffered political and economic instability before and after the independence from Spain and Portugal. It elucidates that colonial experience affected on the economic growth in Latin America. Second, this essay reviews key independent variables of the relationship between colonial experience and economic growth in Latin America. To do so, the study categorizes extant literature into two groups according to the type of its independent variables: 1)internal factor and 2)external factor. Finally, the essay surveys the role of institutions in Latin American economic growth and development. The survey confirms that the importance of institutions in the study of Latin American economic history. In addition, the essay suggests some tasks for further research in Latin American economic history; 1)the construction of basic economic data, 2)the substantialization of the role and characteristics of institutions, and 3)the expansion of research on institutions which overcomes ideological rigidity of existing institutional approach.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
• /
• v.22
• /
• pp.203-221
• /
• 2011

With the beginning of systemized research on Latin American region as a part of the third world in the mid-60s, Latin American regional studies in Korea acquired a steppingstone for development through the establishment of Hankook University of Foreign Studies Central & South American Regional Study, the creation of Central & South America Research Center, and Latin American Society established in the mid-80s. Latin American regional studies achieved quantitative and qualitative growth with the natioal globalization policy in the 90s, and research centers related to Latin America in Seoul National University, Pusan University of Foreign Studies, Dankook University, and Sunmoon University have contributed to the activation of regional studies. In spite of such achievements, Latin American regional studies, which have developed with 40 years of history, still possess problems that need to be solved. This study achieves qualitative analysis on theses published from 2000 to March 2001 in main Latin America regional study academic journals in Korea to analyze Latin American regional study trend of the recent 10 years in order to search measures for activating Latin American regional studies. Academic journals used in analysis include "Ibero America Research" of Seoul National University Research Center of Central & South America, Spain, "Central & South America Research" of Hankook University of Foreign Studies Research Center of Central & South America, "Ibero America Research" of Pusan University of Foreign Studies Central & South America Center, and "Latin America Research" published by Latin American Society. According to analysis on publication ratio of published theses according to field, it was presented that culture and politics fields occupied the highest ratio. Social and cultural fields, the elementary studies of regional research which have previously presented a weak research tendency, have achieved noticeable development during the past 10 years. According to analysis on researched nations, Latin America regional study was weighted in particular nations, and nations of economic size and political influence within region were selected as main subjects of research. Furthermore, several nations were not researched at all. For the last 10 years, the depth and width of the Latin America regional study had been decided by the degree of political, economic, social, and cultural significance occupied by the nation. It can be said that studies based on overall understanding on regional countries of Latin America have been relatively weak in individual nation study. Furthermore, studies that separate issues to achieve analysis based on the awareness theory of individual branches can be regarded dominant among studies based on entire Latin America. These studies still possess limitations in failing to deviate from the outline of particular region and topic.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
• /
• v.37
• /
• pp.7-29
• /
• 2014

The 'discovery' or 'conquest' of the New World in 1492 was the starting point of world history that irrevocably changed the fate of the Latin American continent. The global stream known as 'Columbian Exchange', which was the widespread inter-continental contacts, inter-civilizational conflicts, or bilateral communication, has rendered multifarious effects throughout many historical periods up to the very contemporary time. The propagation of Catholicism initiated along with this 'discovery' transformed Latin America of nowadays in the region that has the biggest Catholic population in the world. The previous studies in Korea regarding Latin American Catholicism has focused on the spread of Catholicism in relation to the European colonization, rather than analyzing the concrete and detailed ways in which Catholicism exerted tremendous influences in the whole continent. They were less attentive to various historical contexts in which the diffusion of Catholicism differed greatly according to cultural landscapes and political specificities. Thus, this essay attempts to examine the diffusion of Catholicism from the perspective of confrontation between royal authorities and the power of church. The essay points out that the royal communities and institutional authorities which facilitated the intial process of Catholic evangelization maintained antagonistic relationship with ecclesial powers. By delving into the gradual transformation of church systems, it reveals that Catholicism in Latin America became a major field for conquerors in power to attain economic and political dominance. And unlike the initial submission and hospitality, the religious convert of the indigenous people attested to the violent inhumanity and opposition. Therefore, the essay aims to pave a clearer way to the understanding of complicated dynamics and conflicts between Catholicism in Latin America and the establishment of Spanish colonization.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
• /
• v.42
• /
• pp.107-129
• /
• 2016

In modern history, there have been several kinds of continental unions or supranational politico-economic unions in the world, such as the United Nations, the European Union, the Union of South American Nations, the African Union, etc. Modern thinkers proposed many pan-isms on their continental base, for example, Pan-Arabism, Pan-Latin Americanism, Pan-Asianism, Pan-Celtism, etc. What is the most common in these pan-isms is that a continental union would be a politico-economic system to overcome the limits of the modern state-nation and to realize a long and happy relationship between member nations and continents. However, the concept of a supranational union differs from that of cosmopolitanism, in that the former presupposes the common cultural and historical heritage in the concerned region or continent. Ngugi wa Thinog'o' Pan-Africanism implies two keywords that are connected to his concepts such as 'decentralization' and 'African languages.' Pan-Africanism supposes that Africa may gain benefits from the union of African nations under the umbrella of anti-colonial efforts to down size the Euro-American influences. Moreover, using African languages enhances self-reliance and self-imagination among the African people. For in the former colonial regimes, the European colonial languages, such as English, French, or Portuguese, were central to the dissemination of European culture and modernity. Ngugi asserts that the African peripheralized languages could reinstate the African cultural heritage and propose an alternative to the Western modernity.