Challenges of Academic Writing among Young Indigenous Researchers

Abstract

The discourses and current educational policies of inclusion in Latin America continue to align with the hegemonic vision that has predominated in linguistic studies, which, from a cognitive perspective, perceive reading and writing as neutral and decontextualized techniques or processes. In this sense, the emergence of critical inquiries highlights the necessity to restructure and decolonize the theoretical and methodological frameworks that have prevailed in investigations of academic literacies. Consequently, this research aims to understand the challenges faced by young researchers from indigenous communities in their experiences of appropriating academic writing, from a perspective that articulates critical studies of academic literacies with intercultural studies. In-depth interviews were conducted with three young indigenous Mexican researchers working in the field of education. The narratives were analyzed considering their familial, academic, and research trajectories in relation to their experiences of academic writing. The results emphasize that their cultural identity influences the construction of their academic identity, enabling them to reflect on and understand writing within the dynamics of power and the ethicalpolitical commitments inherent to their work in academic settings.