Ana Karen Reyes Bailon

Profile

Before coming to Leeds in 2019 to pursue my MA in Childhood Studies, I studied BEd Preschool Education in Mexico. I was a preschool teacher working with children aged 3 to 6 in different contexts. During this time I was able to observe children’s cultures, interests and worries even at a young age. At the same time, it was interesting how little was spoken about children’s culture at this age in Mexico, where mostly everything is focused on learning, and socio-emotional education was a newly added complement to their education.

Research interests

Through my professional experience, I witnessed how living in a country where violence is a day-to-day experience for many, can affect the way we perceive it and children can develop antisocial behaviours from it and become indifferent to it. These experiences helped me to develop my research interest in community violence, the impact of community violence on children’s lives and how we can change that.

This involves empowering and repurposing their voices to construct policies and curriculums that tackle the problem and help construct healthier and safer cultures and contexts. Also, this will help to create and propose solutions with teachers, that are a group with little support in Mexico, and even so much is expected of them to help children and young people.

I have research experience, both during my BEd and MA, and independent experience as a research collaborator while volunteering with Latin American Bureau.

My research interests include:

• Children’s culture
• Social justice and social policy
• Children’s rights
• Creative methods

Qualifications

• MA Childhood Studies at University of Leeds.
• BEd Preschool Education at IByCENECH, Mexico.