José Castañeda

Overview

José Castañeda is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Anthropology. His dissertation research explores the ways in which an indigenous community in southwestern Mexico, organizes and implements autonomous governance projects in a larger context of ongoing state interventions. Through ethnographic fieldwork with key actors involved in community efforts, his research aims to show how forms of sociopolitical organization are reshaped and the expressions of autonomy that are created in the process. He is also interested in exploring how regional insecurity and violence have reconfigured transnational ties and changed sociocultural practices in the community. José received his B.A. from the University of Texas at El Paso in anthropology. His current research has received support from several funding organizations, including the Wenner-Gren Foundation and the Social Science Research Council. During the summers, José enjoys spending time with his family in the Northside of Fort Worth, Texas, and Durango, Mexico.   

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