Socio-Cultural Anthropology Research Paper

To understand the reasoning behind my desire of pursuing a PhD in Socio-Cultural Anthropology, I will begin by stating the intersubjectivities that have been leading me throughout my academic life. Afterwards I would explain the academic-scientific logic behind my current research and future goals, since the both underlie in the passion for social justice that characterizes me, both professionally and personally.
Since a young age, I was intrigued of why there are social asymmetries; due to my own working-class context contrasted with being on a scholarship and attending an expensive private school. Trying to find answers to these inquiries, I decided to major in Social Anthropology, attending for the first time in my life to a public school.
After one year of working in the Department of Social Development (SEDESOL), I could not help but feel powerless and indignant about the paternalistic, ethnocentric and condescending attitudes of government agencies towards indigenous populations. I decided not to renew my contract, and started working at the Department of Agriculture(SAGARPA-CESAVEP), expecting that a more ‘hands-in action’ job would be able to make a positive impact, however it just increased my frustration. It seemed that the lack of transparent procedures and accountability, were just exacerbating the latent conflicts in rural communities. Believing in the transformative power of education, and after getting the Fulbright scholarship, I decided to apply for a master’s degree in Conflict Resolution. My expectations were to learn how to apply international approaches in indigenous communities in Mexico in order to tackle systemic
The underlying goal of the research is to explain how institutional racism fosters the propagation of communicable diseases (e.g. HIV) and how it undermines the possibility of preventing non-communicable and chronic diseases (e.g. diabetes). The project intends to apply participatory methodologies and design a pilot intervention that provides training on cultural safety to health practitioners while it aims to empower indigenous women though providing a safe space for them to voice their concerns and set an agenda for healing within the broader process of