Quechua language: documenting contemporary revival and maintenance strategies

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Copyright: Funegra, Gabina
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Abstract
The ancient family of Quechua languages of the South American Andes is in a precarious situation, not because of numbers of speakers as such, but because of impediments to intergenerational transfer. This thesis, in two parts, is both reflexive and active. It endeavours to understand the history and context of the current fading language, and then it studies and adopts strategies, in local and international contexts, that attempt to maintain and revitalise Quechua. As part of the research study, I visited three global locations: Cusco, Paris and New York, in order to investigate how people use a range of strategies to grow the Quechua language. The research draws on sociolinguistics, ethnographic methods and a range of other disciplines. This thesis is presented in two parts, a documentary film and a written thesis. As a Peruvian whose knowledge of her Quechua language and heritage was blocked by wellmeaning parents who saw Spanish as the road to success, I embody the intergenerational problem this thesis tackles. As a documentary filmmaker, I sought to mobilise my skills in the production of a film as the creative part of this thesis. The making of the film across the three locations was intimately tied to the ongoing research in theory, method and practice. Inviting people (Quechua teachers, artists, media practitioners) to participate in the film and respond to it enabled them to become allies in the objective of this research: the promotion of Quechua as an attractive, interesting and vital language for future generations.
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Author(s)
Funegra, Gabina
Supervisor(s)
Muecke, Stephen
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Publication Year
2016
Resource Type
Thesis
Degree Type
PhD Doctorate
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