Lic. Jenny Marcela Torres Heredia, MA. MA.

PraeDoc
DOC-Team, Austrian Academy of Sciences until 2023

Contact Details

Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology
Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna
NIG, 4th floor

E-Mail: jenny.marcela.torres.heredia@univie.ac.at

Research Focus Areas

  • Politics of Knowledge/ Epistemology of the South
  • Feminisms
  • Postcolonial/Decolonial Approaches
  • Socio-Ecological Conflicts
  • Colombia/ Peace Processes
  • Visual Anthropology

Short Biography

Lic. Jenny Marcela Torres Heredia, MA. MA. absolvierte das Lehramt in Sozialwissenschaften an der Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Bogotá (2009), den Master in Lateinamerikastudien der Universität Wien (2016) und den Master für angewandtes Wissensmanagement an der Fachhochschule Burgenland (2019). In beide Masterarbeiten setzte sie den Fokus in der Analyse der ungleichen epistemologischen Bedingungen der Wissensproduktion, die gesellschaftliche Ungleichheiten reproduzieren und vertiefen.

Derzeit ist sie Doktorandin und Stipendiatin der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (DOC-team) am Institut Sozial- und Kulturanthropologie an der Universität Wien und forscht zum Thema: die Rolle von Wissen und Epistemologie - zwischen kolonialer Reproduktion und sozialen Alternativen. Eine Analyse anhand der afrokolumbianischen Frauenbewegungen in der Nord-Cauca Region.

Selected Publications

Current Projects and Teaching

PhD project

Supervisor: Patricia Zuckerhut

The role of knowledge and epistemology – between colonial reproduction and social alternatives. An analysis based on Afro-Colombian women's movements in North Cauca Region

Afro-descendant communities on North-Cauca Colombia face complex socio-ecological conflicts: their territories have been historically affected by mining and dam projects. The favourable situation of international markets for the sale of raw materials since 2000 has led to an increase in mining projects. At the same time, social and political organization have gained force. Afro Colombian population aim the recognition as legal, political and knowledge subjects. In a context of ethnic minorities rights demands and the peace process, this research project focusses on the analysis of afro women groups strategies facing to environmental and social-historical circumstances. Particularly, the role of knowledge expressed in the understanding of socio-ecological interactions, communal dynamics, and the role of women in social and political processes, is explored. Participatory observation and visual anthropology are methodological pillars of this research project.

projects/teaching