Intercultural expectations and global ambitions: the spatial and temporal dimensions of Indigenous Amazonian adolescence

Journal article

This article explores the experiences of Indigenous Amazonian adolescents living and studying in a Peruvian metropolis, as they navigate the complex interplay between ethnic belonging, the older generation's ‘intercultural’ expectations, and ambitions for the future within a rapidly urbanizing and globalizing society. The article illustrates how adolescence in such a context is shaped not only by its temporal dimension, as traditionally emphasized by scholarly research, but also by spatial factors. Contributing to recent anthropological interest in aspirations, it considers how Indigenous urban adolescents are encouraged by the older generation to transition from local to increasingly global scales – geographically but also temporally – as they pursue their educational and professional goals. This approach offers valuable insights for the anthropological study of adolescence – both within and beyond Amazonia – by highlighting how, despite the well‐established culturally contingent nature of adolescence, virtually every society invests significant hopes in its younger generation, deeply shaping their own ambitions for the future.

Authors: Giattino, A

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Wiley
• Journal: Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute
• Volume: 31
• Issue: S2
• Pages: 31-49
• Publication date: 2026-02-18
• DOI: 10.1111/1467-9655.70033
• EISSN: 1467-9655
• ISSN: 1359-0987
• Language: English
• Keywords: Indigenous; Amazonian; Amazon rainforest; Ethnic group; Context (archaeology)