Teaching
2025 - 2026 | The Latin American City: Urban Challenges and Transformations in Ethnographic Perspective, BA Sciences Po Poitiers | syllabus
Synopsis: Urbanization is reshaping the world: according to the UN, over half of the global population currently resides in cities, with this figure expected to rise to approximately 68% by 2050. This is particularly rapid in Latin America, where urban populations have surged from 40% in 1950 to around 80% today. Latin American cities are sites of stark contrasts and complexities, where social inequality, informality, urban violence and (in)security, and vibrant forms of grassroots organization and resistance coexist and interact. The course critically engages with key challenges shaping contemporary Latin American cities, seeking to critically analyze key concepts and phenomena beyond normative binares. These include the dynamics of informal urban economies and housing, the multifaceted realities of urban insecurity, formal and informal governance, and the contested nature of urban transformation driven by innovation, gentrification, and tourism. The course examines these dimensions through an interdisciplinary lens grounded primarily in anthropology and ethnographic research. While acknowledging the role of elites and gated communities, the core focus of this course is on the lived experiences of the region’s marginalized urban residents. The course also includes reflections on positionality, decolonial approaches, and the ethical and safety considerations inherent to ethnographic fieldwork in complex urban settings.
2025 - 2026 | Youth, Violence and Resistance: Global Discourse and Lived Experiences, MA Sciences Po Paris | syllabus
Synopsis: In recent years, youth have increasingly occupied a central place in international debates on violence, peace and security. Youth demographics are frequently cited as the most common perpetrators of violence – a data point, but also a stigmatizing association that has fuelled punitive security policies and criminalization. Yet across the world, young people are also key agents of resistance and transformation, standing at the forefront of movements for justice, democracy and peace. Landmark international frameworks such as UN Security Council Resolution 2250 (2015) on Youth, Peace and Security have further intensified the interest of humanitarian, development and peacebuilding sectors in this demographic, giving rise to a wealth of programmes and funding streams. Drawing primarily on qualitative research conducted across the Americas, this course offers an anthropologically informed and critically engaged exploration of the intersections between youth, violence and resistance in diverse contexts. Rather than reproducing mainstream institutional narratives, it foregrounds the lived experiences of young people, guiding students toward a deeper understanding of the complexities of growing up in violence-affected settings. Students will also acquire practical knowledge and tools to work with – and for – this demographic within the humanitarian, development and peacebuilding sectors.
Other resources
Trainings
Safe and Ethical Ethnography | SAGE Research Methods
Safety in ethnographic fieldwork | University of Oxford Social Science Division
Presentations
16.05.2024 | Migrantes Venezolanos, bandas criminales y capitalismo neoliberal, Universidad Nacional de Colombia
17.09.2022 | Violencia Urbana y Memoria Colectiva en las Americas, Université de Genève
24.06.2021 | Understanding youth engagement in urban crime and violence, Humanitarian Development Partnerships Forum
02.12.2021 | Ilusión y realidad entre jóvenes involucrados en narcotráfico, Universidad del Rosario
20.11.2020 | The school experiences of drug-involved youth, Special Issue Education and the War on Drugs
Podcasts
15.12.2020 | Youth, education and the war on drugs, Journal of Education in Emergencies Special issue launch