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Archives for August 2015

, Filed Under: Research

From “Informants” to Intellectuals: Reframing 20th Century Nahua Participation in Academic Research

Faculty Researcher: KELLY MCDONOUGH

Contact Details

Kelly McDonough – kelly.mcdonough@austin.utexas.edu

Description

McDonough, Kelly – Spanish & Portuguese
Starting on: As soon as possible
Contact: kelly.mcdonough@austin.utexas.edu

This project studies the representation of Mexican indigenous “informants,” collaborators, and authors in their own right during the twentieth century in anthropological and linguistic research (specifically related to Nahua culture, Nahuas being native speakers of Nahuatl – language of the Aztecs and more than 1.5 million people today). For the majority of the twentieth century many of the indigenous people who provided the information for academic studies were seen as sources of raw data that the “intellectual” academician would then analyze and interpret. In reframing indigenous peoples as intellectuals in their own right, I argue for an expanded understanding of indigenous intellectualism addresses both the tensions and complementary nature of oral and written modes of creating and transmitting oral and written indigenous knowledges. At the same time, with this approach as example, I advocate for a return to early twentieth-century anthropological and linguistic studies in order to tease out and recover voices of indigenous intellectuals that can and should inform contemporary studies of Nahua culture.

I need assistance with downloading all of the 42 volumes of the journal Estudios de Cultura Nahuatl, coding essays for general topics, and assessing how the indigenous person who provided the source material (usually called an informant or collaborator, but sometimes author) is recognized in the essays.

Qualifications:
Required: Advanced proficiency in Spanish; knowledge of Word and Excel.
Preferred: Interest in Indigenous Studies

Time Commitment: Negotiable
Duration: 2-4 months
Compensation: Credit in the acknowledgments of the completed article
The sponsor of this project is available for weekly meetings in person or via Skype
For more information please contact Kelly McDonough at kelly.mcdonough@austin.utexas.edu

Project Timeline

5/1/15-10/1/15

Duties

data collection
discourse analysis
pdf’s searchable
literature review

, Filed Under: Internship

US-Brazil Connect Fellowship Opportunity

About US-Brazil Connect:

Since its founding as an independent nonprofit in 2011, US-Brazil Connect has quickly become a leading facilitator of collaborative international education programs linking the US and Brazil. We are committed to unleashing unrealized economic and human potential by joining communities in the Western Hemisphere’s leading democracies. US-Brazil Connect strives to strengthen education and build economic opportunities by connecting communities, engaging leaders, and creating transformative learning experiences linking the United States and Brazil.

Position description:

Our fellowship programs offer much more than a highly subsidized trip to Brazil. Each selected fellow has the chance to work their way through an unmatched experience in international leadership as a creative partner with Brazilian students. Active partnership—rather than passive consumerism—helps fellows build holistic skills in global leadership and international problem solving. Selected Fellows must agree to fulfill a number of responsibilities at each stage of the program. Those responsibilities include training (both online and in-person training sessions), online coaching, traveling to Brazil for a 4-week period over the summer,  and in-person coaching.

Qualifications:

Global Leaders Fellow must be at least 18 years old and be either a college graduate or attending college courses.

Priority will be given to applicants with the following qualifications:

     Ability to complete each of the Fellow Responsibilities

    Ability to use online tools such as Facebook, Google Hangouts and Google Drive

    Flexibility to live and work in a range of urban and rural Brazilian sites

    Excellent written and oral communication skills in English

     Respect for cultural and ideological diversity

     Ability to work cooperatively while maintaining a positive attitude

     Commitment to personal growth and skills development in international leadership

How to apply:

Please see http://www.us-brazil.org/get-involved/global-leader-application.

Deadline date:

The deadline to apply is March 16, 2016. After applications have been reviewed, semi-finalists will be contacted to set up an interview either in person or over Skype.

Contact information:

1201 Williams St.

Suite 4A

Denver, Colorado 80218

Phone: (720) 338-8839

, Filed Under: Internship

Fall Internship with the African Leadership Bridge

The African Leadership Bridge is championing the next generation of African leaders through sustainable scholarships and a strong support network to provide the tools and experience needed to drive change in the African continent.  Established in 2006, African Leadership Bridge has worked with the African Leadership Academy to identify promising African students with a strong entrepreneurial drive and a dedication to the transformation of the African continent through hard work and leadership.

Opening doors to select universities like UT Austin, the African Leadership Bridge family provides full scholarships and unmatched emotional support to create a unique environment for students to thrive during their college experiences.  Beyond a commitment to personal education, African Leadership Bridge alumni use their knowledge and experience from the US to serve as leaders in their home countries and beyond while providing financial contributions to future African Leadership Bridge students, creating a sustainable impact in Africa.

 Position Description: 

The PR/Social Media Intern will support the African Leadership Bridge by helping us tell our story and communicating stories related to our mission through various media outlets.  Primary responsibilities include managing a social media / communications calendar, and executing on that calendar reliably by posting on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.  Also, this intern will work with staff, volunteers and the board of directors to identify stories that are important to our audience and increase our reach by cross-posting and starting conversations about topics like education, Africa, leadership, and more.  You will help us to shape and develop our voice on social media.

Qualifications:  

Be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program, have reliable transportation, be willing to monitor and manage multiple social media channels on a regular basis.  Ideally, a candidate will be available through summer into the fall and beyond.

Details on how to apply, contact information, deadline date: 

Apply by contacting our Executive Director, Bailey McEachern, at bailey.mceachern@africanleadershipbridge.org with a note describing why you are interested in joining our team and what you would like to accomplish during your tenure.

Other information:

This is a great opportunity to work with a passionate and influential group of people on an important cause.  Additionally, we have amazing stories to tell, and our ‘measurables’ are still relatively low; so a superstar intern will be able to show demonstrable growth metrics to a future employer!