Joanne Rappaport è una studiosa di antropologia e studi ispanici. Il suo lavoro approfondisce i regni degli intellettuali pubblici, la sperimentazione culturale e il pluralismo etnico, con un focus particolare sulla Colombia. Attraverso la sua ricerca, esplora come questi elementi plasmano la società e la cultura, offrendo analisi approfondite delle dinamiche interculturali.
Looking at what it meant to be mestizo (of mixed parentage) in early colonial Spanish America, Joanne Rappaport finds fluid identification processes rooted in an epistemology entirely distinct from modern racial discourses.
Focusing on the indigenous movement in Cauca, Colombia, the book examines the roles of various participants, including indigenous people, non-indigenous allies, scholars, and shamans, in shaping a redefined sense of Colombian nationhood. It highlights the collaborative efforts and cultural exchanges that contribute to a broader understanding of identity and belonging within the nation.