معرفی
Dr. Paul Christensen is a social anthropologist affiliated with the University of Göttingen, specializing in Southeast Asia. He holds a PhD in Cultural and Religious Studies, completed in 2019 with a dissertation on Cambodian spirits and ritual practices, funded by the German National Academic Foundation. His current research focuses on the socio-spiritual impacts of sand mining in the Mekong region, as part of the post-doctoral project Sandscapes in Southeast Asia supported by the Thyssen Foundation.
Education:
- PhD in Cultural and Religious Studies (2019), University of Göttingen
- Master's thesis on Jathilan trance dance in Yogyakarta (2007-2008)
- Studies in Cultural and Religious Studies at universities in Bremen and Yogyakarta
Research Interests: His work bridges ritual studies, environmental anthropology, and political economy. Key themes include the Anthropocene, human-environment interactions, and the role of religion (Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam) in legitimizing power structures. Methodologically, he employs actor-network theory and ethnographic approaches to explore how extractivism reshapes landscapes and cosmologies.
Fieldwork Experience:
- 2024: Cambodia (preparatory research for Mekong sand mining project)
- 2012-2013: Cambodia (PhD fieldwork)
- 2007-2008: Indonesia (Jathilan trance dance study)
- 2006: Sikhism communities in Bremen
- 2005-2006: Hindu Sathya Sai group in Bremen
Grants & Funding: Recipient of German National Academic Foundation doctoral scholarship and Thyssen Foundation fieldwork grant.
Labs/Teams: Engaged with the Institute of Methods and Methodological Principles in the Social Sciences at the University of Göttingen.
