Area of Interest:

Political culture, elections, democratic institutions & ethics, political histories, inequality, immigration and multiculturalism, anthropology of tourism

Research & Activities:

Entered the program in 1997.

Education: York University-Canada, BA 1996.

Research Interests: My project explores informal perceptions and understandings of the state in Peru, and how these in turn affect political participation and more generally, political culture in Peru. In other words, I am looking at how rumors, gossip and other daily life manifestations of politics contribute to what the state actually is in Peru. I work primarily with residents of shantytowns on the outskirts of Lima, but also with various social movements/NGOs/civil society organizations on their perceptions and activities within Peruvian political culture as well.
Keywords: political culture, elections and other democratic institutions and ethics, political histories, ethnography of the state, inequality, the influence and perceptions of world powers in the Third World, immigration and multiculturalism (food, music and dance as expressions of), and the anthropology of tourism.