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Prof. Dr. Martin Rössler

Short Biography

1975-1987 Studies of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Arab Studies / Islamic Studies, Anthropology, Turkology, Malayology and Oriental Art History at the Universities of Göttingen, Zurich, Cologne and Bonn.

1981 Master's degree at the University of Göttingen with the subject "The Relationship of People's Religions and Islam in Western Sudan".

1982 Studies in Central and South Sulawesi.

1984-1985 Field research in South Sulawesi on the topic of Islamization and social conflict behavior.

1987 PhD in Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Cologne. Subject of the dissertation: "The social reality of the ritual: continuity and change in the Makassar of Gowa".

1987-1994 Scientific assistant at the Institute of Cultural and Social Anthropology, University of Göttingen.

1989 / 1990-1991 Research stays in North Sumatra and South Sulawesi on the socio-economic change in rural communities.

1996 Habilitation for Cultural and Social Anthropology at the University of Göttingen. Subject of the Habilitationsschrift: "Rural Economy as a Cultural Process: A Case Study from Indonesia".

Since 1996 lecturer at the University of Göttingen.

1997 Research in West Sumatra and South Sulawesi on sociopolitical change and identity.

1999-2001 Research associate at the DFG project: "Spatial organization, spatial behavior and spatial cognition in intercultural comparison", University of Göttingen.

2000 Representation of a C3 professorship for social anthropology at the University of Bielefeld.

2010-2016 Managing Director of the "Foreign Languages, Cultures and Societies" group.

2001-2022 Professor (C4) at the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Cologne.

Thematic Interests and Regional Focus

Socioeconomy, political anthropology, religion (in particular Islam), ritual, identity research, space and time concepts.

Insular Southeast Asia, Indo-Pacific, West Africa.

Research Projects

Socio-economic change in South Sulawesi.

Publications (Selection)

1987: Die soziale Realität des Rituals: Kontinuität und Wandel bei den Makassar von Gowa. Berlin: Reimer.

1990: Striving for Modesty: Fundamentals of the Religion and Social Organization among the Makassarese Patuntung. Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde 146,2-3:289-324.

1997: Der Lohn der Mühe; Kulturelle Dimensionen von 'Wert' und 'Arbeit' im Kontext ökonomischer Transformation in Süd-Sulawesi, Indonesien. Münster: LIT.

1997: Islamization and the Reshaping of Identities in Rural South Sulawesi. In: R. Hefner/ P. Horvatich (eds), Islam in an Era of Nation-States: Politics and Religious Renewal in Muslim Southeast Asia, pp.275-306. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press.

2005: Wirtschaftsethnologie: Eine Einführung. Zweite, überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage. Berlin: Reimer.

2007: Von der Gabe zur Abgabe: Transaktionen im politischen Kon­text. In: H. Klinkott et al. (Hrsg.), Ge­schenke und Steuern, Zölle und Tribute. Antike Abgabeformen in An­spruch und Wirklichkeit, pp. 3-27. Leiden & Boston: Brill.

2009: The Anthropological Study of Landscape. In: M. Bollig & O. Bubenzer (eds): African Landscapes: Interdisciplinary Approaches, pp. 297-325. New York: Springer.

2013: Theories of Consumption – Perspectives from Economic Anthropology. In: T. Kerig & A. Zimmermann (eds.): Economic archaeology: from structure to performance in European archaeology, pp. 31−45. Bonn: Habelt.

2016 (ed. with M. Haug & A. Grumblies): Rethinking Power Relations in Indonesia: Transforming the Margins. London: Routledge.