The Family and Society in Nineteenth-Century Latin America: an Historiographical Introduction

Abstract

This historiographic essay reviews literature on the Latin American family within the context of themes, issues, and methodologies important in studies of European and United States families. The family in Latin America is found to have been a more central and active force in shaping political, social, and economic institutions of the area than was true in Europe or the United States. The authors suggest that institutions in Latin American society make much more social sense, particularly in the nineteenth century, if viewed through the lens of family relationships. The eight essays in this issue represent research substantially expanding our knowledge of the nineteenth-century Latin American family as an active force.