معرفی
Prof. Dr. Joanna Pfaff-Czarnecka is a Full Professor of Social Anthropology at the Faculty of Sociology, Bielefeld University, holding this position since 2001. She has served in multiple leadership roles including Dean of the Faculty of Sociology (2018-2019), Scientific Member of the DFG Senate (2011-present), and Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZIF) (2011-2019). Her work spans Arbeitsbereich 6 - Sociology of Transnationalization and Social Anthropology, the Institute for World Society, and the Center for InterAmerican Studies.
Research Interests: Pfaff-Czarnecka specializes in globalization processes, political anthropology (ethnicity and democratization), legal anthropology (human/minority rights), and the anthropology of home and belonging. Her work explores ethnic boundary-making, religious diversity, and transnational identity politics, particularly in Nepal and Switzerland. She investigates how vernacularization of global norms (e.g., indigenous rights) interacts with local practices.
Scientific Awards & Collaborations:
- Multiple Visiting Fellowships at the University of Oxford (2007, 1997-1998, 1992)
- Visiting Professor at Tokyo University (1999)
- Professional Staff at ICIMOD, Kathmandu (1990-1991)
Cross-Cutting Themes: She connects Swiss minority rights with Nepalese democratization, analyzing ritual communication, cultural boundary dynamics, and transnational kinship across South Asia and Europe.