Mapping the Social Life of Intercultural Pedagogy in Peruvian Amazonia

Abstract (English)

This chapter examines the “social life” of interculturality in contemporary Peruvian higher education by tracing its historical emergence, ideological foundations, and lived enactments. Drawing on an extensive review of Latin American literature and ethnographic fieldwork conducted across multiple higher education institutions in Peruvian Amazonia, it unpacks how interculturality has been conceptualised, theorised, and institutionalised, within and beyond the educational realm. The paper first briefly maps the historical trajectory of educational interculturality in Peru from its Andean and indigenist precursors to its current policy frameworks. Second, it critically analyses the dominant theoretical underpinnings and ideological debates that shape intercultural higher education. Third, it illuminates everyday practices, tensions, and possibilities of intercultural engagement as observed in classrooms, curricula, and community partnerships. By situating Peru’s experience within broader Latin American discourses, the chapter highlights both convergences and distinctive national inflections. Its contribution lies in bridging macro-level policy analysis with micro-level ethnographic insights, thereby offering a nuanced account of how interculturality functions as both an academic construct and a lived social process. This work is academically relevant to anthropological sciences for its integration of historical, theoretical, and ethnographic methodologies, and it carries practical implications for policymakers, educators, and community stakeholders committed to fostering truly inclusive and dialogic higher-education environments.