Thomas Stodulka

Thomas Stodulka is Professor of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Münster, where he teaches courses on affect theory, ethnographic methods, and psychological anthropology. His academic career spans over two decades of research with marginalized communities in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, establishing him as a leading figure in affect studies and collaborative ethnographic methods. He maintains an active teaching schedule through 2025 with seminars on writing project proposals, decolonizing classrooms, and affect theory.

Stodulka's research interests form an interconnected web focusing on affect and emotion, psychological anthropology, marginalization and stigmatization, and visual and performative anthropology. His work bridges theoretical innovation with applied practice, particularly in understanding how emotions shape social interactions among street communities in Java and how collaborative methods can transform anthropological research. His third major research focus examines school gardens and permaculture networks across Southeast Asia, connecting environmental activism with future-making practices.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent trajectory exploring affective dimensions of fieldwork, decolonial approaches to psychological anthropology, and sensory knowledge systems. His work increasingly engages with pandemic impacts on research methods while maintaining his foundational interest in marginalization and mental health. Notably, his scholarship demonstrates remarkable consistency in focus while expanding methodological innovation across multiple disciplinary boundaries.

Stodulka actively mentors a diverse cohort of doctoral students working on topics ranging from mental health in Indonesia to gender-based violence and migration studies. His supervision approach emphasizes collaborative learning through the 'Ethnography Workroom' where early-career scholars share challenges and frustrations. He has edited multiple special journal issues and book collections that have shaped contemporary discourse in psychological anthropology.

His teaching methodology is highly innovative, incorporating walking sessions to understand student motivations, 'world café' discussions of core texts, and 7-minute flash presentations to develop students' ability to pitch research ideas concisely. Stodulka's approach draws on intersectional teaching principles that emphasize inclusive and culture-fair practices, attending to students' positionalities and biographies to diversify voices in academic spaces.