Questions about dependence and independence are of crucial importance in relation to Latin
America given the region's history and its current situation. They are particularly relevant
at this time with the bicentenary of independence being celebrated throughout the region. This
book examines central issues relating to these two notions in the Latin American context
offering twelve different studies of the themes in question six of which cover sociology and
politics and six of which examine topics in literary and cultural studies. The breadth of the
subject matter considered in the volume reflects the wide range of issues that the ideas of
dependence and independence raise in this political and geographical context including among
others: identity hegemony wealth and poverty discursive power the role of civil society
language and gender. The contributors offer new insights into the fields examined from
discussions of the significance of cultural products such as literary works and films to a
consideration of the validity of the concept of independence to ongoing efforts to alleviate
poverty and assert national autonomy. As a uniquely interdisciplinary and multi-focused
collection of essays the book offers readers an excellent overview of these issues as they
relate to Latin America today.
