Syracuse University SURFACE Dissertations - ALL SURFACE 6-1-2014 Opening Our Eyes: How Activist Women in Ecuador Learn Critical Political and Self-Aware Consciousness Dana Michelle Hill Syracuse University Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/etd Recommended Citation Hill, Dana Michelle, "Opening Our Eyes: How Activist Women in Ecuador Learn Critical Political and Self- Aware Consciousness" (2014). Dissertations - ALL. 50. https://surface.syr.edu/etd/50 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the SURFACE at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations - ALL by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. i Abstract This dissertation seeks to answer two questions: “How are different aspects of consciousness learned and relearned by members of women’s organizations in Ecuador?” and “How do women’s critical political and self-aware consciousnesses impact their organizations and their ability to build relationships based on solidarity?” Critical political consciousness is defined as awareness of hegemonic social structures and their relationship to intersectional embodied identities, accompanied by a desire for equality and justice. Critical self-aware consciousness is understood as awareness of: one’s own public and subjective identities; agency; how life experiences affect different aspects of the self; and the interconnectedness of individuals, communities, and the Pacha Mama (Kichwa for Mother Nature or Mother Universe). I combined participant observation, interview, focus group, survey and photovoice methods to research local, regional, and national level organizations in Ecuador between 2010 and 2013. To examine how activists can better concientizar (raise the consciousness of) their members, I draw on sociocultural learning theory to analyze how identity, consciousness and epistemological ignorance are learned, unlearned and relearned. I interrogate how women learn to code their surroundings; attain language and other tools as they become part of communities of practice of girls, women, and organizations, oppressed or privileged communities; and as they learn different types of consciousness. I examine how learning is facilitated by individuals’ openness to new perspectives and pedagogies that teach the whole person (including mind, body, emotions and spirit) in connection to her community. I find that consciousness is contradictory. People think and act from the social location corresponding to their intersectional embodied identities, internalizing hegemonic social forces’ ii teachings at the same time they resist them, often appropriating both oppression and privilege. I explore the contradictions created by this and how they impact individuals and their communities of practice. My research recommends that academics interested in social change attend to ideas such as self-aware consciousness and sumak kawsay wisdom. It suggests that organizations facilitate critical self-aware consciousness in addition to critical political consciousness to further the development of empathy and solidarity between organizational members with different as well as similar intersectional embodied identities. iii OPENING OUR EYES: HOW ACTIVIST WOMEN IN ECUADOR LEARN CRITICAL POLITICAL AND SELF-AWARE CONSCIOUSNESS by Dana Michelle Hill B.S., Psychology, Florida State University, 1999 M.A., International Development, American University, 2004 Dissertation Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Science Syracuse University June 2014 iv Copyright © Dana Michelle Hill 2014 All Rights Reserved v Gratitude – Agradecimientos Thinking of who to thank I am humbled by the amazing teachers who accompany and guide me in this life. I can no longer count how many times my eyes have been opened on my travels through Syracuse and Ecuador and this PhD. Along the way I have encountered such wonderful Teachers, and my community has grown, and I am grateful for the communal process which writing this dissertation has been. It has been such a part of my life and questioning of life. My thank yous: I begin by recognizing and honoring my ancestors, in gratitude for all you have given me. Thank you especially to my grandparents who have always encouraged me to write. I promised you, Granny, that when I had something to say I would write. Grandma Margaret, thank you for teaching me about literature and for nurturing my love of language and writing, for all your encouragement, love and the laughter we’ve shared. Mom and Dad – you are my cornerstone. From founding Cornerstone School so I and other children could grow up being ourselves and learning to love learning, to your unwavering and incredible support through all the stages of my (formal and informal) education, you have always encouraged my love of learning – thank you! Thank you also for your tag team copy-editing, cooking for me, and general taking care of me in the final stages of writing this dissertation. Thank you most of all for your unconditional love. Gracias a todas las mujeres tan bellas que compartieron conmigo, que confiaron en mi para contar sus historias, que me recibieron en sus casas, organizaciones, en sus vidas. Gracias por su amistad, cariño, confianza. Me han enseñado tanto. vi Thank you to my incredible committee: John, Chandra, Jackie, Angela and Gioconda. All of you inspire me with your commitment to make this world a better, more just place, with your integrity, clear-sighted perspective of the world, and your amazing ability to teach. Your classes opened my eyes, gave me words and ideas to say things I’d always thought but didn’t know how to verbalize, and helped me find one of my communities of practice. I have grown not just intellectually, but in all senses, thanks to your presence in my life. Thank you for all you have taught me. A special thanks to John for being such an amazing advisor, for your patience, encouragement, mentorship and sense of humor. Anya, my amazing one-woman writing group. Thank you for always finding the time to read what I wrote, for your enthusiasm, encouragement, insight, analytical creative thinking skills. Thank you for acompañandome in this writing process. And thank you to Dave and Isa for entertaining each other so Anya could help me. Thank you to Vernon and Mary for your support of my work. I am very grateful. To Stars, thank you for sharing life with me, for understanding and teaching me so much. Thank you for your role in this piece of writing – for your insight, questions, thoughtful listening. Thank you for editing, and inspiring me to frame this dissertation in terms of learning. Para mi Ceci, mi amiga tan querida. Gracias por ser parte de mi vida tantos años, por inspirarme, por hacerme enamorar de tu país. Te admiro y te quiero tanto. Para Magui y Carmelina, mi equipo hermoso. Gracias por recibirme en sus casas y corazones con tanto amor. Gracias por compartir su sabiduría, amistad, y cariño. He aprendido tanto de Uds.; mi vida jamás será igual. Les quiero mucho y espero la próxima colaboración. A Thais y Bernarda por ser mis hermanas, compañeras, mi familia en Ecuador. Gracias a ti Thais por desarrollar tantas ideas conmigo. ¡Sin duda estás en esta tesis! vii Lucía, Nancy, Lucy, Carolina, María, Dani, Monica, Kate, Emily, Emma, Stalin, Antonio, Carmen, Marco, les agradezco tanto por escuchar y darme sus ideas sobre mi trabajo, por prestarme libros, sus casas, por presentar conmigo en conferencias, por opinar sobre mis ideas y ayudarme a desarrollarlas. Gracias por ser mi comunidad y mis amig@s del alma. Es algo muy lindo saber que siempre cuento con Uds. y espero los futuros colaboraciones. Gracias a mis amig@s de la AUCC por recibirme para colaborar con Uds. Que linda experiencia. Leo and Cumandá por adoptarme como su hija, por su generosidad, cariño, sabiduría. Sol y Daniel, por ayudarme a encontrar mi voz, superar mis muros y decir mi verdad. Por ser mis maestros y guias. Thank you to Julie, Patrick, my sweet Brynn Pop and Keenan for your unconditional love and support. To my whole extended family – you are all lights in my life and I love each one of you. Uncle Fink, thank you for our conversations about writing, for your interest in my work, for inspiring me with your work and your observations about life. To my Syracuse friends and professors - Alexandra, Griselda, David, Cory, Kwame, Marj, Clorise, Hannah, Rob, Shana, Jesse, Bill, and the St. Andrew’s community – thank you for all you taught me and for your friendship; I treasured my time with you. To Diane and Peter Swords, for your hospitality and feedback on my work! Gracias a tod@s que asistieron a mi presentación en la Flacso, por compartir sus ideas sobre la tesis – he intentado incorporar sus ideas aquí. A Maritza por transcribir – te agradezco mucho. Thank you to the Fulbright Foundation and Syracuse University for financially supporting my work. Gracias a FLACSO también por todo el apoyo. viii Table of Contents Abstract .............................................................................................................................. i Gratitude – Agradecimientos ............................................................................................ v Chapter One: Mountains, Manifestations and the Micro-Movements of Learning Consciousness 3 El Camino: This Project’s Path ..................................................................................... 3 The Project ...................................................................................................................