ASSIGNMENT 7 – ANALYZING A DOCTORAL THESIS: ‘INDIGENEITY, AUTONOMY AND NEW

CULTURAL SPACES : THE DECOLONISATION OF PRACTICES , BEING AND PLACE THROUGH

TOURISM IN ALTO BIO -BIO, CHILE’ BY MARCELA PALOMINO-SCHALSCHA .

1) Indicate the core elements of the theoretical and methodological set-up, and how this is
useful to sharpen your own research proposal.
The theoretical framework of Palomino-Schalscha (2011) thesis presents many intertwined
elements in which I identified three main tracks. First, she uses as guiding principles decolonial and
poststructuralist theory and methodologies. In a second level, she problematizes around the
concepts of wellbeing and autonomy within and historical/contemporary context in line with its
complex relationship with tourism. And third, as a geographer, she uses the concept of place to
make sense of the people’s changing relationship with the territory, nature and other beings. Her
methodological approach is highly influenced by the former theories and concepts. In this line, she
uses an ethnographic design combined with participatory action research (PAR) in order to
elaborate a “co-generative construction of knowledge” (34), involving Pewenche people in the
production of the research, she tries to bridge the gap between academia and society. But she also
does this, in order to avoid essentialisms and representations about what are indigeneity and the
‘other’.
From Palomino-Schalscha work I became inspired by what can I do and explore in my
thesis. There are some of the concepts and theories which I am already familiar with such as
decolonial theory and postdevelopment which I have already thought to use in my thesis. Plus, I
would like to highlight some concepts she uses like “situated knowledge”, “sociology of absences”
and “sociology of emergences” which apparently seem very accurate for my work and I would like
to explore them in the short time. I appreciate also how her theoretical approach also contributes
to the recent efforts to demystify indigenous communities as a unit of homogenous people which
does not contribute to properly address their reality and reduces the complexity in which the
problems they are facing should be considered. Since, I will also work with Mapuche people and
their relationship with nature I find very interesting the way she problematizes how there are
some complex realities that involve culture, beings, and feelings, among other things; which as
researchers we don’t have at hand tools that could make these meanings and relationships easily
visible. Overall, I highlight and appreciate her profound reflexivity and philosophical and political
challenges posed as a researcher which makes me think about my own concerns regarding my
positionality and objectives as a researcher.

2) What did you like and didn’t like on the thesis structure, language, use of illustrations,
citations, etc?
The thesis is well written and the author is very careful about the words being used.
Despite that, there are some minor typing errors, specifically repetition of phrases in a few titles
and references. There is in some passages an excessive use of adjectives, which I know it is difficult
to avoid because I also tend to do it. I can recognize that the purpose to do it is to be descriptive
and fair with complex realities, but when there is too much of them it becomes pointless because

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there is no distinction between complex or simples ideas. Nevertheless, there is a good and
pleasant structure, as is follows a fluid narrative. The graphics, photographs and other resources
are well distributed and very accurate clarifying specific arguments. Moreover, it is possible to see
that these didactic resources are also following the harmony of the narrative.

3) How are the conclusions connected to the issues addressed in the introduction?
There is a strong connection between the aims of the research and questions poses in the
introduction and the conclusions draw from this study. The main concepts proposed are well
developed through her fieldwork and findings. She even goes further and proposes some lines of
research that appear from her fieldwork which were not part of her scope. One interesting finding
is the deployment of emotions and feelings regarding the performance of tourism within a
neoliberal context which I can say that it emerged as well in my bachelor thesis about culinary and
communitary tourism in the south of Chile. There are also, important reflections about her initial
endeavor to constitute her project as a decolonial research. She recognizes the methodological
and empirical limitations about her ambitious intentions which are strongly related to how the
academia works and the limitations of the language. Doing this, she expresses an urgency to think
about these limitations and the necessity to overcome them arguing that this would allow us to
really take seriously the valorize of other epistemologies as recent theories have highlighted.

References:
Palomino-Schalscha, Marcela (2011). Indigeneity, autonomy and new cultural spaces: the
decolonisation of practices, being and place through tourism in Alto Bio-Bio, Chile. Doctoral thesis
in Geography at the University of Catenbury, New Zeeland.