Servando Z. Hinojosa studied anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin and later at UCLA and Tulane University, earning a doctorate at the latter in 1999. Since 1991 he has conducted research among the Kaqchikel Maya of Guatemala, focusing on various dimensions of reproduction, spiritual knowledge, and dance. He has been primarily interested in understanding how midwives, soul healers, and folkloric dancers relate spiritually to the body. Following his 1995-1996 doctoral fieldwork, Hinojosa turned to an earlier interest of his, Maya manual medicine. His research into the cultural meanings of bonesetting included consideration of how this age-old healing modality fares within an increasingly biomedically-dominated setting. Throughout his research focus on Guatemala, he has maintained an interest in Mexican American sobadores (folk massagers) and Mexican American licensed peyote dealers in South Texas. He is currently a
coinvestigator in the research project, "Barriers to Breast Cancer Screening among Latinas in the U.S. - Mexico Border Region," (José Pagán, P.I., Award Number W81XWH-06-1-0334), and is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at
The University of Texas-Pan American.
