Maria F. Vivanco
- Ph.D. Candidate, Rural Sociology
- Email mzv7@psu.edu
- Pronouns She/her
Areas of Expertise
- Sociology of Food and Agriculture
- Postcolonial and decolonial studies
- Smallholder farmers and peasants communities
- Female empowerment in rural areas
- Qualitative methods
Education
- B.S. in Sociology at Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP)
Maria Vivanco is a dual-title Ph.D. Candidate in Rural Sociology and International Agriculture and development. Her doctoral thesis analyzes the geopolitical production of knowledge around "neglected and underutilized crops".
She was born and raised in Lima, Peru. Her bachelor thesis in sociology at PUCP was on technological and social change in a small community in the Peruvian Andean region. This thesis found that ancestral reciprocity -in the form of sharing knowledge and labor- was key to the adoption of new agricultural practices in the community. Maria has teaching experience in courses of qualitative methods and fieldwork PUCP-Peru; and working experience as an auditor in Contraloria General del Peru. She is also interested in integrating graphic design and poetry into her approach to sociology.
