Biography
Historically, indigenous knowledge and languages of the former hispanic colonies had been marginalised and belittled, a process echoed in formal education practices. Recently, however, there has been a shift towards the promotion of autochthonous language and culture supported by governments and international organisations. Bolivia particularly stands out amongst Latin American countries with efforts to ‘revolutionize’ and ‘decolonize’ the nation. My research aims to explore these efforts through a scrutiny of Bolivia’s educational reforms.
After graduating from the London School of Economics with a First Class Honours in Social Anthropology, I moved to Bolivia to learn about the social reality of life there and commence the study of the Quechua language. I have returned to the UK and completed an MPhil in Latin American Studies with Distinction at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. My master’s thesis looked at Quechua language ideologies among linguistics students and lecturers at a public university in Cochabamba, Bolivia. My PhD will more broadly investigate the emerging consequences of pluricultural education, and particularly the changes in Quechua language instruction, on ethnic identity, inter-ethnic relationships and plurinational citizenship in the city of Cochabamba.
Other Academic Interests
Psychology (of language and learning in particular)
Media and Audiovisual Theory
Linguistics
Translation Studies
Latin American Literature
