Bernhard Leistle

Bernhard Leistle is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Carleton University. He holds a PhD from Heidelberg University and specializes in phenomenological anthropology, merging philosophy, psychology, and anthropology. His research focuses on applying phenomenological concepts (e.g., Merleau-Ponty, Levinas, Waldenfels) to empirical studies, particularly ritual practices in Morocco and psychiatry in Germany/Canada. He teaches courses like Introduction to Anthropology and Phenomenology for Anthropologists, and supervises graduate research on topics such as psychiatry, legal practices, and performative arts.

Leistle’s work includes edited volumes like Anthropology and Alterity (2017) and Ritual and Identity (2006), alongside journal articles exploring alterity, ritual performativity, and sensory ethnography. His current projects address psychiatric anthropology and phenomenological theories of performance.

His teaching spans undergraduate and graduate levels, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches. He actively engages in academic debates on phenomenological methodologies and their applications in cultural studies.