Description:
This collaborative project investigates developmental initiatives and the use of literacy in two Quechua communities in the Peruvian Andes. Working with SER, I will explore whether and how specific developmental initiatives recognise and integrate indigenous cultural priorities, practices and literacies in their policies and programmes. The project focuses specifically on indigenous women and their experiences with alphabetic literacy, usually defined by whether they can read or write, and their educational background. However, a broader definition of literacy is fundamental to this study, highlighting the role of non-written media such as music, textiles and storytelling in recording and disseminating indigenous knowledge and culture. I will consider how and why indigenous women use written and non-written literacies, and the resultant effects on their children’s engagement with education and traditional non-alphabetic literacy practices.