Amaranta Thompson

Background

I completed a bachelor’s degree in Hispanic Studies and Mathematics at Queen Mary University of London in 2010, a masters in Development Studies from School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in 2012 and, a masters in Social Studies of Gender (major in Development Studies) at the Graduate school, Lund University in 2017. My bachelor thesis focused on gender violence and trauma in Latin American film. I then completed a thesis in Development studies analysing female presidents in Latin America and the implementation of gender policies during their terms. My latest masters project discussed sex as work in the Argentinian context using a feminist political economy lens and concepts of commodification and work/labour. As well as having worked as a teacher in secondary school and a teacher/mentor in universities in Argentina and Sweden, I have worked with feminist NGO’s and activist organisations in the UK and Argentina.

Research Areas

• Feminist critical drug studies
• Postcolonial/Decolonial Theory
• Feminist Theory
• Ethnography

Current Research and Teaching

My PhD project looks at the role of grassroots organisations in the legalisation and regulation of medical marihuana in Argentina and looks to contribute to current literature of critical drug studies from a feminist, postcolonial/decolonial  perspective. The project will examine relations between categories such as race, gender, sexuality, disability, and motherhood and how they are constructed and imposed upon specific bodies. Two organisations in the province of Buenos Aires in Argentina will be the focus to highlight how the complexities of experiences around medical marihuana challenge hegemonic discourses around drugs. Ethnographic methods, such as participatory observations, in-depth interviews and life histories will be used to bring to the forefront the the experiences of these marginalized populations.

Currently working on EU Horizon project Gender Excellence in Research.