Institute of Ethnology
Obligatory reading for Master students, admitted to the MA program
under certain conditions (Nov. 2013)
Part I
Reading for the 1st semester
Read all of the literature given below. At the end of the semester, you will get a list of topics,
related to this reading. You will chose one topic and write a term paper (15 pages; in
accordance with the required formalities (see xxxx) and proof-read by an English speaking
person).
It is obligatory to hand this paper in (to either Prof. Basu, Prof. Platenkamp or Dr. Schneider)
before the beginning of your second semester.
Anthropological Theory:
Barnard, Alan (2000): History and Theory in Anthropology, Cambridge/New York: Cambridge
University Press.
Anthropology of Religion / Ritual
Morris, Brian (2006): Religion and Anthropology: A Critical Introduction, Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Basu, Helene (2005): Practices of Praise and Social Constructions of Identity: The Bards of
North-West India. In: Archives de Sciences Sociales des Religions 130: 81-106.
Coppet, Daniel de (1992): Understanding Rituals, London/ New York: Routledge.
Economic Anthropology:
Gudeman, Stephen (2001): The anthropology of economy. Community, market, and culture. Malden, MA
[etc.]: Blackwell.
Bloch, Maurice & Jonathan Parry (1989): Money and the Morality of Exchange, Cambridge/New
York: Cambridge University Press.
Field Research Methods:
DeWalt, Kathleen & Billie DeWalt (2002): Participant Observation: A Guide for Fieldworkers,
Walnut Creek: Alta Mira Press.
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Institute of Ethnology
Part II
Reading for the 2nd semester
Read all of the literature given below. At the end of the semester, you will be given a topic,
related to this reading, on which you should write a term paper (15 pages; in accordance with
the required formalities (see xxxx) and proof-read by an English speaking person).
It is obligatory to hand this paper in (to either Prof. Basu, Prof. Platenkamp or Dr. Schneider)
before the beginning of your third semester.
Kinship, Social Organisation and Gender:
Selected articles from: Barnard, Alan & Jonathan Spencer (1996): Encyclopedia of social and
cultural anthropology, London, New York: Routledge.
Barnard, Alan & Anthony Good (1984): Research Practices in the Study of Kinship,
London/Orlando: Academic Press.
MacCormack, Carol (1980): Nature, culture and gender: a critique. In: MacCormack, Carol and
Marilyn Strathern (eds.) Nature, Culture and Gender, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (1-24).
Csordas, Thomas J. (1990): Embodiment as a Paradigm for Anthropology. In Ethos 18 (1): 547.
Selected Readings
Basu, Helen Basu, (1998) Hierarchy and emotion: love, joy and sorrow in a cult of black saints
in Gujarat, India. In: Helene & Pnina Werbner (eds.) Embodying Charisma. Modernity, Locality, and
the Performance of Emotion at Sufi Shrines, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul (117-139).
La Fontain, Jean Sybil (1985): Person and individual: some anthropological reflections. In:
Carrithers et al. (eds.) The category of the person: Anthropology, Philosophy, History, Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press (123-140).
Platenkamp, Jos. D.M. (2010): ‘Becoming a Lao Person: Rituals of Birth and Socialisation in
Luang Prabang, Laos’. In: P. Berger et al. (eds.) The Anthropology of Values. Essays in Honour of Georg
Pfeffer, Delhi: Pearson (180-200).
+ Monograph according to your interest (to be discussed in advance)
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