• News: Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology

    Changed opening hours

    In the week from 24.03.2025 to 28.03.2025 the instute will only be open wednesday and friday from 11 am to 3 pm.

© Zentrum für Islamische Theologie

Lecture series: 'Between Stage and Prayer Room: Theological-anthropological Perspectives on Music and Islam' SoSe 2025

Emma Wendt (M.A.), Institut für Ethnologie Münster
Selma Durakovic (M.A.), Zentrum für Islamische Theologie

The lecture series deals with the connection between music and Islam from a theological and anthropological perspective. Being a much debated subject within Islamic discourses, we will deal with the variety of theological positions on the definition, permissibility and the forms of use of music, drawing on Islamic dogmas and the history of Muslim societies. Ethnographic research from around the world will help to highlight not only the religious function of music, but its social, political and identity-forming role for Muslims in Western and Muslim-majority countries around the world (UK, Senegal, Indonesia, MENA region) as well. To conclude, the lecture series offers the possibility to not only talk about but directly with Muslims practicing music during the panel discussion with scholars from Islamic theology and anthropology and with two German-speaking Muslim musicians.

program
HISLSF

Schloss Münster
© Tobias Spilleman

Save the date: ENPA conference 2025 in Münster!

Dear Colleagues, dear Students, and Friends,

We are delighted to announce that the ENPA Conference 2025 will be held from June 10 to June 13, 2025, at the University of Münster, Germany!

More information regarding the conference theme, calls for papers/films/media, and panels will be shared in early November. The event will kick off with a pre-conference workshop for PhD students on June 10, followed by the main conference over the next three days.
We look forward to welcoming you to our venue at the Schloss in Münster, nestled amidst expansive parks and beautiful botanical gardens. You might even want to take a dip in the canal that runs through the city, so don’t forget to pack your swimming gear!
Please share this save-the-date announcement with interested colleagues in your networks.
We are excited to welcome you to ENPA 2025 in Münster!

Warm regards,
Your co-organizers: Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology together with the Department of Psychology at the University of Münster, and the ENPA Conference Team

© Julia Khan

New Podcast about Psychological Anthropology: 'Mind the Culture'

‘Mind the Culture’ is a series of four podcasts sponsored by the European Network for Psychological Anthropology (ENPA). In this series, ENPA members discuss how our cultural backgrounds shape the way we think, feel, and navigate the world. Ever wondered why people from different cultures handle emotions, relationships, or stresses in unique ways? Or why a set of self-help tips can work for some people but not for others? This podcast series dives deep into how our minds and cultures are intertwined, allowing us to better understand ourselves and others in a diverse and changing world.

© Dorothea Schulz

The Africa Globally Connected research project is part of the Religion and Politics Cluster of Excellence Network at the University of Münster. It is a transcontinental and comparative research collaboration on the role of social identities in mediating Muslim-Christian-ATR relations in contemporary Africa and it is premised on the fact that religion is an engine of political and social change across the world. Drawing on this research partnership, the central question, which the workshop seeks to address, is: How do social identities inform the ways in which Christians, Muslims and practitioners of African Traditional Religion assert, bridge and accommodate religious differences in Nigeria's plural religious settings?

Book of Abstracts

Artwork by Agus Suwage and Titarubi
© Thomas Stodulka

Introducing Ethnography Met: Your Go-To Online Repository Learnweb for Ethnographic Methods!

We are thrilled to announce the launch of Ethnography Met, a comprehensive online repository designed specifically for students and faculty at the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology. Ethnography Met offers a wealth of resources on ethnographic methods, providing invaluable support for research and academic endeavors.

Discover detailed guides, case studies, and multimedia resources that cover the full spectrum of ethnographic techniques. Whether you're just beginning your journey or looking to deepen your expertise, Ethnography Met is here to support your learning and teaching.
To access the platform, simply log in to your Learnweb account. Please note that enrollment in Learnweb is exclusively available to students and faculty at the University of Münster.
Visit us here!

In case of questions, please contact Beyza Rabia Asoglu (rb.asoglu@uni-muenster.de) 

Enjoy browsing,
Your Faculty

© Florin Cristea

Symbiosis of rituals and conventional medicine

2022-2024 | DFG with Florin Cristea, M.A. and Prof. Dr. Thomas Stodulka

This project contributes to current debates on illness experience, care and therapeutic landscapes in Bali and Java, Indonesia. The island has established itself as a hub for international cooperation on mental health and illness. Based on the collaboration with professional networks already initiated during previous fieldwork, this project is well connected to local and international institutions It investigates the illness experience associated with severe psychiatric disorders as intertwined moral, cognitive, and emotional processes. This analytic link has not been studied so far and promises to provide an in-depth description of how global knowledge flows influence personal and social illness trajectories and outcomes outside of the Global North, by methodologically particularlizing the diverse Balinese and Javanese therapeutic landscapes.
Cooperation partner: Universitas Gadjah Mada Yogykarta, Indonesia

  • Electoral results

    Current information will follow, when provided by the student council of the masters programme.

  • Information on the Emergency Fund

    Costfree social counselling

    Due to the financial hardship of many students, the University of Muenster and the AStA offer costfree social counselling and the crisis fund. Further information can be found here.

  • Research Funding Support

    Funding for student research projects

    The Rectorate of the WWU supports innovative and scientific projects initiated and carried out by students (including doctoral students) with up to 5,000.00 euros. It is important, among other things, that these projects are distinguished from degree qualifying measures and other academic achievements. The age limit is 27 years. Further information can be found on the SAFIR website, which will be happy to assist you with your application.