Winter Semester 2024/2025
Note: this page may be subject to modifications. Please follow up for updates.
Students are required to attend classes amounting to 30 ECTS per semester. Please refer to your FPO (Prüfungsordnung) for more information.
Module – Interdisciplinary Studies of Decision-Making I (10 ECTS)
Students are required to take all of the following classes
Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Jean-Baptiste Pettier
Time and Place: Mon. 14:00 – 18:00 c.t., bi-weekly, SDAC Seminar Room
Synopsis:
Opposed views on humans’ capacities to make decisions have always existed. On one side, more liberal, human beings are seen as having their fate in their own hands. They can create, innovate, renew, make a change, it depends all on themselves. On the other, more deterministic, everything is already decided. Life is in the hands of the divine, or of a great underlying mechanism, humans have no real capacity of choice. Social sciences also deal with these age-old questions and have attempted to address them in two ways: on one side, examining how and to which extent people’s lives and ways of thinking are determined by the cultural or social milieu they originate from; on the other, studying how people the world over deal with predetermined conditions, try to find out what the future will be, and attempt to change it. Through theories of individual agency and concrete cases of decision-making, this course will trace back these two trends.
This course will be held as a double session happening every two weeks. It will be based on the discussion of texts and on the examination of varying cases and circumstances by the students.
Lecturer: SDAC team members
Time and Place: Mon. 14:00 – 18:00 c.t., bi-weekly, SDAC Seminar Room
Synopsis:
What distinguishes a sociological study from an historical or ethnographic one? What methodology is employed in the field research or interview process? What are the ethical issues associated with conducting research involving human subjects, and how can these challenges be addressed? How might one navigate the interplay between emotions, subjectivity, and the ways in which interlocutors situate and evaluate their or your identity and position in society? How might one approach the analysis of politically sensitive issues? This course will address these questions and others through an examination of methodology texts, exemplary pieces of research, and concrete practice. The aim is to equip students with a range of methodological tools for the production of qualitative data, which is the material of qualitative social sciences.
Organizer: Dr. Ferdiansyah Thajib
Topic 1: Academic writing
Time and Place: Every Tuesday from 10:30 – 12:00, from November 5th to December 10th, 2024 (Seminar room SDAC)
By Paul Hobbs-Koch, Language Center, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg
Topic 2: Preparing for Job Market: How to make use of Sociological/ Anthropological insights and skills for your job field
Time and Place: Friday, from 12:15 – 17:45, November 29th 2024 (Seminar room SDAC)
By Prof. Dr. Tijo Salverda
Topic 3: Digital anthropology & online ethnography
Time and Place: Friday, from 13:00 – 15:00, December 13th 2024 and Friday, from 13:00 – 15:00, January 17th 2025, (on zoom)
By Marion Breteau, Ph.D, CEFREPA Kuwait
The session will start at 13.00 sharp, using this link: https://fau.zoom-x.de/j/64531507826
Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Jean-Baptiste Pettier
Time and Place: SDAC Guest Lectures (SDAC Seminar Room). The CAS Colloquium happens on Tuesday 18:00 – 20:00 c.t., weekly.
Synopsis:
Every semester, SDAC students attend on a voluntary basis the guest lectures of their choice happening in the context of our university.
All SDAC lecturers can occasionally invite guest lecturers of their choice in the context of their own courses. Each guest lecture is announced on the website at least two weeks in advance. All of them are opened to all SDAC students, regardless of whether they attend that specific course or not. Please check the website regularly in order to learn about the upcoming guest lectures.
In addition, the Center for Advanced Studies „Alternative Rationalities and Esoteric Practices from a Global Perspective“ offers a rich program of weekly guest lectures. The full program is accessible here: https://cas-e.de/2024/09/21/lecture-series-winter-semester-24-25/
At the end of the semester, each student is required to submit a 2-pages summary of one of the conferences that they attended in which they explain what they learned from it and how it impacted their understanding of research work.
Module – Transregional Competences (5 ECTS each)
Students are required to choose at least 1 and up to 3 of the following classes (in total 20 ECTS need to be acquired with this and the next module, students can divide them according to their liking). The examination form of this module is a term paper of 10 pages.
Lecturer: Dr. Maria Bondes
Time and Place: Mon. 8:00 – 10:00 c.t., SDAC Seminar Room
Synopsis:
This course introduces students to the so-called “dictator’s dilemma” (Svolik 2012, Dickson 2016) and authoritarian rulers’ varying strategies towards public participation and political control, focusing on the case of China. Rulers of authoritarian regimes around the globe face a fundamental dilemma: They live in the constant threat of being overturned by the masses over which they rule. However, without elections they have incomplete information about citizens’ preferences and are uncertain how best to please public opinion so as to stay in power. While authoritarian regimes are often associated with hard political control, it has become common ground for non-democratic regimes to choose a strategy for survival that combines “hard” elements of coercion and repression with “soft” elements of responsiveness and inclusion. Authoritarian rulers integrate bottom-up input mechanisms and institutions of public participation into their system of governance with the goal of enhancing political stability and effective policymaking. Such an instrumental approach to public participation faces the challenge of mobilizing citizens without promoting political pluralism or democracy.
The course will address questions such as: Why do rulers of authoritarian regimes choose varying strategies of political control and how do these relate to authoritarian resilience? Through which formal and informal institutions do authoritarian regimes integrate public participation into their system of governance? Why does an authoritarian regime like China permit civil society and public protest? And how do political actors at different political levels respond to public demands? The course will approach these issues through the reading of relevant academic literature, in-class group exercises and discussion rounds.
Lecturer: Dr. Maria Bondes
Time and Place: Mon. 10:00 – 12:00 c.t., SDAC Seminar Room
Synopsis:
Fridays for Future demonstrations, street protests, petitions or outright rebellions – citizens around the world express their demands and grievances in more or less contentious ways. This seminar introduces students to the many facets of such “contentious politics” and asks questions such as: How do people get from political grievances to the streets? Why do citizens in some cases and regions become politically active but others don’t? How do political actors organize contention and mobilize others to participate? What makes some episodes of contention more “successful” than others? How do state actors react to such public demands and what drives their responses? And what does contentious politics look like in an authoritarian regime like China? The course addresses these questions through the reading of relevant literature, in-class exercises and discussion rounds. Students will be organized in groups and learn to investigate their own case of contention.
Lecturer: PD Dr. Violat Thimm (she/her)
Time and Place: Tue. 8:00 – 10:00 c.t., SDAC Seminar Room
Synopsis:
How do being queer and being Muslim fit together? What does it mean for young Muslims when they discover that they are transgender or homosexual, for example? Queer Muslims exist all over the world and their identities are often disregarded as implausible. “Islamic” views of sexuality have been subjects of curiosity, interest, and, in many cases, misunderstanding.
In fact, debates on this tension field “Queer and Islam” is much more limited today than it was in the past. Societies in the Islamic world have recognized both erotic attraction and sexual behavior between members of the same sex. Homoeroticism was idealized in the form of poetry or artistic declarations of love. While official, and in many cases colloquial, acceptance of at least some homosexual behavior was commonplace in pre-modern periods, later developments, starting from the 19th-century on the basis of colonialism and Islamic fundamentalism such as Wahhabi ideology, have created a generally hostile environment for LGBTQIA+ people.
Thus, there are multiple institutionalized “Islamic” views on sexuality and these are, in turn, challenged by Muslims and their sexualities and identities in various ways. For example, gay men from the US perform pilgrimage in Mecca in secret to avoid being recognized and therewith prosecuted. In Indonesia exists a mosque founded by and run for transgender people who have to struggle against Muslim orthodox groups who had closed the mosque in the meantime. In Malaysia, some Muslim transgender people fight for their rights on the streets, while others want to find their way “back to nature” with the help of Islamic state education and shake off their transgender existence in order to enter paradise sooner.
In this course, students are introduced to many diverse issues of being LGBTQIA+ in Islam, mainly from socio-cultural and political perspectives. We will read academic literature but a variety of teaching materials and techniques such as videos and in-person lectures by activists and academics will also be incorporated. In class discussions, we will emphasize the value of mutual respect for individual personal beliefs as well as in the appropriate ways to express these beliefs and opinions.
Lecturer: Dr. Zezhou Yang
Time and Place: Tue. 12:00 – 14:00 c.t., SDAC Seminar Room
Synopsis:
What is culture? What is transculturality? How does this term differ from similar concepts such as interculturality and multiculturality? How are cultures shaped, reshaped, negotiated, appropriated, and challenged? What are the relationships between the notion of culture and other key topics such as place, representation, race, nation, and class? This course investigates the theories and practices of Transcultural Studies. Situated within the debates on decolonisation and Global Asia, the key concepts and methods of Transcultural Studies will be explored by examining Asian realities across various temporal-spatial constellations.
How does the bubble tea become a symbol of resistance and enable a transnational political campaign? What can we learn from the process of adapting a Japanese manga into an Indian TV show? How are superheroes of Asian origin differently represented in Hollywood blockbusters? By examining these and other cultural products, expressions, and practices, we interrogate how Asia and Asian cultures are understood and practiced in both historical and contemporary complexities. This course seeks to motivate students to reconsider conventional notions of culture and Asia. The course format does not follow a straightforward lecture model. Students are encouraged to participate in in-class discussions, bringing their own interests, life experiences, and knowledge from diverse backgrounds.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
Lecturer: PD Dr. Viola Thimm (she/her) & Dr. Ferdiansyah Thajib
Time and Place: Wed. 8:00 – 10:00 c.t., SDAC Seminar Room
Synopsis:
Ethical questions are on the minds of every (prospective) researcher, but certain topics are generally not discussed; they are sometimes even taboo. How do I appropriately anonymise my interviewees if their identity can still be traced by simply “exchanging” their name? What are the implications of researching with children? What strategies can I use to counter illness or even death in the field? What do I do if my interlocutors prefer to remain silent instead of engaging in ethnographic conversations with me in order to protect themselves from persecution? How do I deal with my own socio-structural positioning in the field? How can I protect myself as a FLINTA* (female, lesbian, inter*, non-binary, trans*, a-gender) from sexualised violence during research? By addressing these and other questions, the seminar offers a critical examination of ethical dilemmas in anthropological research. The seminar readings and discussions are intended to help students learn to reconcile ethically conflicting and contradictory situations in ethnographic field research and to be able to assess expectations of fieldwork more realistically.
Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Mallika Shakya
Time and Place: Wed. 10:00 – 12:00 c.t., SDAC Seminar Room
Synopsis:
What can poetry offer anthropology (and social sciences) towards studying marginality? The new movement calling for decolonising anthropology stemmed from the rejection of elite feminism’s implicit nod in keeping the racially, economically and sexually oppressed people out. At the peril of being dismissed as ‘derivative’, anthropologists who began the movement ‘decolonising anthropology’ chose to continue their engagement with the classic book ‘Writing Culture’ by Clifford and Marcus (1986) but critique it. They insisted that the book had inspired an empowering rage in them, nudging them to forge an anthropological collaboration with a radical literary (counter) movement initiated over a decade ago. What came out of this interdisciplinary – and interracial – solidarity was a new concept and method reshaped by social and political movements centring on race, class, sexuality and nation. Early anthropological interlocutors’ persistent reminder that we cannot afford to read ethnography through lenses tinted with privilege allows us an opening in probing marginalisation in everyday claims on society, nation and civilization. It is in this context that the method on ‘poetics’ was brought within anthropology to question the conventional theorizing of ‘written culture’.
Feminism allowed ‘heart’ to matter and brought vulnerability to the process of rationalisation, i.e., it turned on its head the racist colonial construct that had defined the ‘savage’ as someone who is not in control of his or her emotions. This course considers that oppression and exclusion imposed by the privileged were also sprouting from the visceral even if explained in bureaucratised language that claimed rationality, scientifism, meritocracy and a diplomatic ‘win-win’. This course explores how poetics is a deeply contested field prompting and accentuating symbolic violence and counter-resistance at the level of the visceral. It reads poetry and fiction written by people from the margins, and this is done in juxtaposition with the meanings attached to those writings in the way affiliated anthropologists and social scientists have engaged with those texts.
Lecturer: Jessica Wengel, M.A.
Time and Place: Wed. 14:00 – 16:00 c.t., SDAC Seminar Room
Synopsis:
In this course we will have a look at the historical circumstances and cultural impact surrounding the systematic destruction of human life carried out by government bodies. The fascist regime of the national socialists in Germany will be our main example, as they committed these atrocities during their reign from 1933 to 1945 on a never seen before institutionalized and systemic scale. We will go over their race theory, its historical origins and their views on race hygiene, which were the ideological basis for their acts. Then we will explore the decision-making and internal processes of the regime that lead to: The forced sterilisation and euthanasation of people with hereditary and mental illnesses (known under the code name „Aktion T4“), the abortion on forced laborers and the genocide of jews in the holocaust and other parts of the population (like Sinti and Roma). An important aspect is also the legal consequences after the end of the Second World War. Were key actors adequately punished for their involvement? What was the opinion of the general public and the culture of remembrance on the committed atrocities and how did they change over time? How did all of this influence and shape Germany culturally and politically?
We will work closely with historical sources and come across descriptions and visual depictions of cruelty and violence. These things are significant elements of the human experience and of past and present societies and important to research and understand, especially in an effort to be preventthem in the future. But please don’t attend this course if this subject matter could negatively affect your mental well-being.
The examination form is a term paper in which historical methods should be used. Students are not necessarily required to write about Germany, they can also choose topics from different regions and points of time.
Module – Research Issues (5 ECTS each)
Students are required to choose at least 1 and up to 3 of the following classes (in total 20 ECTS need to be acquired with this and the previous module, students can divide them according to their liking). The examination form of this module is a written exam.
Lecturer: Wen “Alvin” Wang, M.A.
Time and Place: Thu. 14:00 – 16:00 c.t., SDAC Seminar Room
Synopsis:
Looking at a world map and searching for the very far east of the Eurasian super-continent, we find China, North and South Korea, Japan… The names of these few countries strike our mind as being part of the same region: East Asia. Cultural common points also seem to unify these populations in our imagination: chopsticks, buddhist temples, traditional roofs, martial arts, rice and tea, or filial piety… Yet like so many other similar territorial divisions, the more we try to make sense of it, the more elusive the unity becomes.
Are these populations not too different to be assimilated in the same space? Does East Asia exist outside our geography textbooks? What do these populations really share in common? And what separates them?
This course examines the construction of this region and its present realities. Breaking away from the discourses of the nation-states as well as the orientalist vision of a little differentiated cultural space, we will investigate, in a transversal manner, several major themes, ranging from the writing system to the governmental structures, or the food and drinks. At the end, students will be able to gain a deeper understanding of the complex links that interconnect this region.
Lecturer: Dr. Ferdiansyah Thajib
Time and Place: Wed. 12:00 – 14:00 c.t., SDAC Seminar Room
Synopsis:
As a modern history invention, Southeast Asia has come to have a living reality which bears critical investigation and articulation. `Southeast Asia’ and its various constituent countries are being made and remade through the movements and flows of goods, peoples, ideas and technologies across and beyond the region. This course is an introduction to how the region is shaped through a history of similarities and differences, and why it remains an important area to study today. The first part of the course focuses on the region’s historical evolution through diverse typologies of precolonial, colonial and postcolonial encounters. We will critically engage with the complexity of Southeast Asian cultures and societies, by studying its diverse ethnicities, plural patterns of gender and sexuality and vernacularized forms of world religions and local beliefs. The final part examines the dynamics that constitute the region’s sociopolitical realities in current times, including democratization, populism, religious bureaucracy and gendered mobilities.
Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Mallika Shakya
Time and Place: Thu. 10:00 – 12:00 c.t., SDAC Seminar Room
Synopsis:
The term “South Asia” emerged during the Cold War era whose geopolitical strategies originated far away from the region’s actual landscapes. Previously known by other names, this course aims to explore the historical and contemporary construction of South Asia as a region as a socio-cultural sphere and also as a field of study.
Historically, South Asia has been the symbolic-geographic site where distinct modes of philosophy, religion and epistemology have evolved over the course of centuries and maybe even millennia. Today, its contemporary contributions in global popular culture and deliberative democracy are very significant. These underpin the selection of text materials I use as a teacher and an interlocutor, and this course invites students to discuss South Asia’s role in global history but also reflect on the diversities of politico-economy, culture and social stratification systems within this region as a way of problematizing the ongoing lop-sidedness this region faces in terms of hegemony and power.
South Asia defies simple categorization. It is important to recognize eclecticism and tension within the region which strives for regional harmony while offering intriguing perspectives on border and nationalism. The largest country in South Asia, India, itself is far from monolithic; it is the site of multiple layers of history and multiple perspectives on culture and economy. All other countries have their own diversities rooted in geography, culture and politics. This course seeks to navigate this eclecticism while exploring everyday rhythms of South Asia in terms of work and livelihood but also leisure and being.
Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
Lecturer: Dr. Maryam Abbasi
Time and Place: Tue. 14:00 – 16:00 c.t., SDAC Seminar Room
Synopsis:
This comprehensive seminar offers an in-depth exploration of West Asia, examining its geopolitical landscape and vibrant cultural heritage. During this seminar, participants will engage with key aspects of the region such as:
- Religious Diversity: West Asia is home to a wide array of religious beliefs and practices, making it a melting pot of faiths and traditions. In this seminar we delve into the various religions of the region, their historical significance, and the role they play in shaping the social and political landscape.
- Economic and Political Landscape: This exploration of the contemporary economic and political realms of West Asia provides students with the analytical tools to discern the region’s global impact.
- Contemporary Challenges: Addressing political upheavals, economic dynamics, and environmental concerns, this seminar provides a comprehensive understanding of the pressing issues affecting the region and its people.
Through discussions and insightful readings, the seminar aims to cultivate a general understanding of West Asia’s history, current state, and future possibilities. By engaging with these multifaceted themes, students will develop the ability to critically assess the complexities of this vital world region, guided by a comprehensive perspective on its rich tapestry and dynamic evolution.
Additional offers
Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Jean-Baptiste Pettier
Time and Place: Wed. 16:00 – 18:00 c.t., SDAC Seminar Room
Synopsis:
Human societies constantly produce and debate ways of being and acting considered as either positive or negative, attractive or repulsive. This research seminar will focus on the question of moral phenomena. A particular emphasis will be placed on the study of how moral representations are modified (or not) in link with the change of environment or of historical circumstances. It will be based on the discussion of classic or more recent publications, as well as presentations of on-going research by students and guest lecturers. It is conceived as a space of exchange on ongoing research and is in priority oriented to second-year MA students working on their dissertation, but opened to all students and researchers with an interest in the issue.
Lecturer: Dr. Ferdiansyah Thajib
Time and Place: Tue. 14:00 – 18:00 c.t., bi-weekly, SDAC Conference Room
Synopsis:
This seminar is intended to create a collaborative environment for SDAC students who are about to start preparing and writing their thesis. It is not a substitute of the thesis supervision process, but rather aimed at complementing it. The focus of the seminar is to craft student’s capacities for embarking on their thesis project, from getting ready for fieldwork to planning the first steps to take once they are in the field; on how to navigate supervision process, how to incorporate feedbacks, crafting literature review and drafting a research report. The seminar is to facilitate this peer learning process rather than prescribing how it should evolve.
Lecturer: Malgorzata Marciniak, M.A.
Time and Place: Fri. 10:00 – 12:00 c.t., SDAC Lecture Room. The course will start in the second week of lectures (25.10.24).
Synopsis:
This weekly workshop is specifically designed for English-speaking students who want to focus their German language skills on academic contexts. Participants will have the opportunity to acquire basic German language for their day-to-day life as well as learn vocabulary and structures needed in academic environments. The course content includes: Introduction to fundamental grammar rules and sentence structures of the German language, developement of a solid vocabulary, practical exercises to improve listening and reading comprehension and speaking in academic contexts, writing and presenting short texts to apply what has been learned. At the end of the semester, participants will have the opportunity to take an exam that certifies them a A1 language level.
Lecturer: Sarah Hammerl, M.A.
Time and Place: Mon. 12:00 – 14:00 c.t., Ground Floor Seminar Room (Glückstr. 10), LS für Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie
Synopsis:
Technological advancements and increasing global connectivity have bolstered transnational awareness and cooperation regarding human rights issues. However, widespread impunity,
economic inequality, and persisting cultural biases continue to hamper the implementation of human rights protections. This course provides an introduction to human rights topics from a
socio-cultural anthropological perspective. By critically engaging with different theories and their practical implications, students will explore the opportunities and challenges of human
rights frameworks in the 21st century, including digital rights and privacy, climate change and environmental rights, and migration and refugee rights.
Lecturer: Sabrina Heilmann, M.A.
Time and Place: Mon. 10:00 – 12:00 c.t., Room 00.005 (Glückstr. 10)
Synopsis:
In this course, we will delve into the complex world of legal pluralism and its workings in various cultural contexts. We will begin with an introduction to the anthropological concept of legal
pluralism and examine how customary law and other normative systems shaped by traditions and religions interact with state law. Additionally, we will explore alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods and mediation from an anthropological perspective. We will also critically consider the concept of human rights. We will read anthropological literature on cases from
across the world. Furthermore, we will discuss the ethical dimensions of cultural norms, legal bias, and corruption. This course aims to provide an understanding of the complexities of socio-legal practices across different cultural contexts. No prior anthropological background is necessary to participate.
Lecturer: Bhagya Wickramawardhana, M.A.
Time and Place: Thur. 10:00 – 12:00 c.t., Ground Floor Seminar Room (Glückstr. 10), LS für Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie
Synopsis:
What does “justice” really mean, and for whom? How do efforts to achieve justice reveal the complexities of injury, retribution, and peace? How can we understand competing claims to
justice and experiences of (in-)justice? This course explores these questions within socio-cultural anthropology, incorporating perspectives from the wider social sciences and socio-legal
studies. We will look into a range of topics including, criminality, Indigenous and women’s rights, postconflict transitions, transitional justice, environmental disasters, reparations debates, and personal healing. By blending conceptual ideas, global perspectives, and local examples, we will examine how justice is defined and pursued both in theory and in everyday life. You will learn
how past experiences shape today’s notions of justice and how these ideas impact current struggles – whether they are our own or those of others, with whom we may or may not agree.
Additionally, we will ask: What is violence? How does it begin and spread? How do different labels like neglect, harm, discipline, and civilian justice shape our understanding of violence? What can ethnography offer to our understanding of it? We will develop tools to study violence, from the intimacy of family dynamics to the actions of global actors and institutions.