Quirin Rieder

Quirin Rieder is a University Assistant (prae doc) and PhD candidate at the University of Vienna’s Institute for Cultural and Social Anthropology, part of the Faculty of Social Sciences. He is a member of the CaSt research group and has conducted long-term ethnographic fieldwork in Gilgit-Baltistan, Northern Pakistan. His research focuses on the Anthropology of the State, Economic Anthropology, Infrastructure, Postcolonial Theory, and Environmental Justice.

Education: Rieder holds a BA, MA, and MSc in Social Anthropology and Literary/Cultural Theory from universities in Munich, Tübingen, Durham, and London. His academic journey includes studies on infrastructure’s sociopolitical implications, particularly energy cooperatives in Germany and their role in challenging state energy policies.

Research Interests: Rieder examines how infrastructural practices like electricity access shape social organization and political identities. His doctoral project, Caring through Electricity, investigates energy scarcity, community-owned hydro-power plants, and their transformative impact on rural political mobilization in Pakistan. He connects these issues to climate change, transnational infrastructure projects, and the reproduction of social inequalities.

Publications: Rieder has published articles and book reviews in Sociologus, Focaal Blog, and Social Anthropology, alongside contributions to edited volumes such as One World Anthropology and Beyond and Environmental Justice and Socio-Ecological Transformation. His work often combines theoretical frameworks (e.g., Tim Ingold’s “lines”) with empirical studies of marginalized communities’ resistance to global economic forces.

Teaching: He currently teaches courses at the University of Vienna, with past courses also listed on the university platform. His pedagogical activities reflect his research engagement with critical policy analysis and socio-political dynamics.

Labs/Teams: Rieder contributes to the CaSt research group, which explores themes like state boundaries, care practices, and infrastructural inequities. His interdisciplinary collaborations include co-authoring works on energy justice and participatory decision-making in German energy cooperatives.