Chiara Scardozzi is Assistant Professor at the Department of History and Cultures of the Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, where she teaches Visual Anthropology (LM) and Digital Anthropology (lm). She carried out extensive fieldwork between Italy and Latin America, focusing on territorial claims, identity dynamics and socio-environmental conflicts. Her latest research, based on the decolonial paradigm and a participatory ethnographic approach, explores the possibilities of visual and digital mediums for the restitution and sharing of knowledge with source communities. Since 2022, she has been member of the Editorial Board of «Public Anthropology Journal». In 2023 she obtained the National Scientific qualification as associate professor in the Italian higher education system, in the call 2021/2023 (Ministerial Decree n. 553/2021 and 589/2021) for the disciplinary field of 11/A5 - Demography, ethnography and anthropology. (Academic Recruitment Field 11/A - History, according to the national classification).
Academic Qualification
- 2018 - PhD in Ethnology and Anthropology - Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza” (Italy). Thesis title: Along the River, across the border. Narratives and claims of contemporary indigenous territories in the Gran Chaco, about land claims and territorial restitution of Weenhayek and Wichi peoples along Pilcomayo River, at the frontier between Argentine and Bolivia.
- 2013 - Master’s Degree in “Agroecology: a sustainable approach to rural development”. Universidad de Córdoba (Spain)
- 2011 - Master’s Degree in “Anthropological and Ethnological Studies” (Laurea Specialistica) Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza” (Italy)
- 2008 - Bachelor’s Degree in “Theory and practice of Anthropology” (Laurea triennale) Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza” (Italy).
Scientific Activity - Participation in National and International Research Projects:
- Since 2023: PRIN "Knot - Knowledge of things. Reassessing the Indigenous American Heritage in Italy."
- Since 2023: "Virtual Technologies for Museums and Art Collections - Italian ethnographic museums with extra-European collections facing the decolonial challenge: digitalization as a tool for sharing and co-constructing knowledge."
- 2020-2022: "Por una alimentación debida," action-research on food security and sovereignty in the Gran Chaco, winner of the "Argentina contra el Hambre" call, funded in 2020 by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation -Mincyt (Argentina).
- Since 2009-present: Ethnography of the Gran Chaco, processes of coexistence and territorial dynamics. Ethnological Mission for South America of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- 2022: Visual ethnography in the communities of the Quebrada de Humahuaca, Andean region of Jujuy Province (Argentina), a UNESCO World Heritage site, as part of a residency offered by the Museo en Los Cerros (Huichaira, Argentina).
- 2019: PRIN "Eco-frictions of the Anthropocene" (University of Catania, University of Messina), collaborative visual research on industrialized Sicilian territories.
- 2018: "Anthropology of food: experiences of sustainability" (University of Naples "L’Orientale"), research conducted as part of an agreement between the Campania Region and the Regional University Committee on the "Innovation needs in regional agro-industrial enterprises and the provision of support tools," to identify the needs for a structure/center for disseminating knowledge on Campania’s biodiversity and sustainable agricultural techniques, as well as to assess the impact on the market for sustainable eno-gastronomic and cultural-monumental tourism.
- 2018: "Implementation of qualitative research in social impact measurement methodologies for evaluating educational services and development projects." University of Rome "La Sapienza" and Human Foundation Do&ThinkTank.
- 2017: "Sistematización de procesos de mapeo participativo para la resolución de conflictos territoriales." Research on participatory mapping as a peaceful strategy for resolving territorial conflicts in Argentina and Bolivia. Fundación para el Desarrollo en Justicia y Paz - Fundapaz; International Fund for Agricultural Development - IFAD.
- 2017: "New City Map" multidisciplinary research on public space, community, and migrants in transit in Rome, funded by the Order of Architects of Rome and Province and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities (MIBACT).
- 2017: "Fuoriclasse" project aimed at combating school dropout. Save the Children Italia Onlus.
- 2016: "Ethnography of the Weenhayek Original Community Territory - TCO" ethnographic research on territorial claim and management processes of the Weenhayek indigenous groups of the Bolivian Chaco. Center for Regional Studies for the Development of Tarija - Cerdet (Bolivia).
- 2016: "Identities, territorialities, and development, ethnography of territorial management processes in the semi-arid region of Central Chaco (Province of Salta, Argentina)." Ethnographic investigation of territorial management of indigenous communities and campesino families in Central Chaco. Italy-Argentina Cultural Cooperation Program, Ministry of Education of the Argentine Republic. Host institution: Universidad La Matanza UNLAM (Buenos Aires, Argentina).
- 2015: "Territorio Tabajara," ethnographic and visual research on the Tabajara territory (Paraíba, Brazil). Grupo de Estudios sobre Territorio e Identidad (University of Paraíba).
- 2013: Research on integrating qualitative investigation into statistical analysis of the socio-demographic aspects of indigenous populations in Argentina to guide and improve public policies. National Institute of Statistics and Census-INDEC.
- 2009: Ethnographic study conducted in elementary and middle school classes on health, body, friendship, bullying, childhood, and youth issues. Meyer Hospital and University of Rome "La Sapienza."
Awards and Honors
- 2021: Award from the Italian Society of Applied Anthropology (SIAA) for Collaborative and Applied Research, special mention for the design and structuring of the project "Por una alimentación debida," action-research on food security and sovereignty in the Gran Chaco, funded by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation - Mincyt- Argentina.
- 2014: "Francesca Cappelletto" graduation award for the best master's thesis in Applied Anthropology (Center for Ethnographic and Applied Anthropology Research-CREA - University of Verona and the Italian Society of Applied Anthropology).
