Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology

Since 1965, the Institute has been dedicated to the education and training of social and cultural anthropologists. Its scholarly focus spans transregional inquiries primarily encompassing Southeast Asia and Africa. Conceptually, the Institute delves into the intricate fabric of societal configurations, exploring dimensions of social, religious, political, affective, and economic phenomena. Central to its pedagogical and scholarly ethos are systematic analyses, theoretical frameworks, methodological pluralism, and a commitment to decolonial epistemologies.

Beginning in the winter semester of 2006/2007, in collaboration with the Institut für Kulturanthropologie/Europäische Ethnologie, the Institute introduced the integrate Bachelor program ‘Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie’. This interdisciplinary program amalgamates the theoretical underpinnings and thematic concerns of Social and Cultural Anthropology with those of European Ethnology (Volkskunde). Subsequently, from the winter semester of 2009/10 onward, the Institute launched the advanced, English-language Master's program ‘Social Anthropology,’ designed to equip students with both theoretical insights and empirical competencies requisite for scholarly and professional pursuits. Additionally, the Institute fosters synergies with the international Master’s program ‘Visual Anthropology, Media and Documentary Practices’ housed within the Professional School of the University of Münster.

As an active participant in transnational networks, the Institute plays a pivotal role in fostering international collaborations, particularly in domains pertaining to religion and politics, media studies, visual culture, mental health studies, psychological and environmental anthropology. The Institute’s academic personnel, comprising two professorial positions alongside a cadre of scholarly staff, adjunct faculty, and researchers supported through external funding, collectively contribute to its vibrant intellectual milieu and scholarly endeavors.