About me
Hi! My name is Cecília, but everybody calls me cès. I am an independent scholar currently living in Rio de Janeiro. My double formation mixes Humanities and Engineering. I hold a Ph.D. in Sociology from Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (2017), with a post doc at the Observatoire Sociologique du Changement / Sciences Po Paris (2018). I also have a MA in Sociology and Anthropology and a BA in Social Sciences, both from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
During my trajectory as a researcher, I first had a keen interest for Urban anthropology and consumption. In this sense, as a junior scholar, I studied several different themes, from the moving frontiers in Colonial Brazil to the subway dynamics in Rio de Janeiro. Those first experiences brought some features that are still present today in my way of tackling knowledge: interdisciplinarity and curiosity without boundaries. After this, I focused my studies on consumption, especially during the Ph.D. years. My thesis analyzed luxury consumption in Rio as a longue durée phenomenon.
This main research led me to the sociohistory of sartorial goods, which I still explore today. I am particularly interested to adopt goods as a "starting point" to reconstitute a broader and more complex, system of cultural norms and structures. In the case of Brazil, shoes are a good example because they were central in the definition of civil categories, such as freedom. My ongoing research explores the life and taste of Eufrásia Teixeira Leite, a Brazilian investor who lived most of her life in Paris, where she excelled in finance. I’m also expanding my research concerning footwear in the 19th century, and the role of sartorial items in the Olympics.
Apart from research, I also have a corporate career as Product Manager in a tech company. In my spare time, I love to travel and try new foods. Don't hesitate to drop me a line (or two) for us to chat! You can also subscribe to my Substack newsletter and read a new text every week.