Max Planck Institut für ethnologische Forschung

Writing-ups, Visiting Fellows and Guests 2020

Year 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2012 - 2013

Dissertation Writing-up Fellows (in chronological order)

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Ana Chiritoiu (January–June 2020)

Dissertation: Exchange, Morality, and the Politics of Social Reproduction in a Roma Neighbourhood in Southern Romania
PhD conferred: (expected) September 2021

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David Thompson (January–March 2020)

Institution: University of California, Berkeley
Dissertation: "Resocialize to Conquer the Future": Incarceration and Reform in Rio de Janeiro
PhD conferred: 2020
Current Position: Simons Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in International Studies, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada

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Mert Peksen (September–December 2020)

Institution:The Graduate Center, City University New York
Dissertation: Displacing the Border: Refugees, Law and Geography in Turkey
PhD conferred: expected 2021

Guests (in chronological order/ selection)

Marie Courtoy (February–March 2020)

Catholic University of Leuven

Current position: FRESH Doctoral Fellow, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium

Mariuca Oana Constantin (October 2020)

National University of Political and Administrative Studies, Bucharest

Current position: Researcher/ Lecturer, National University Bucharest, Romania

Alexander Ganepola (November - December 2020)

Institute for Minority Rights, Bozen

Current position: Junior Researcher

Quotes

"My fellowship at the ‘Law & Anthropology’ Department has been one of the most productive times of my PhD track, despite coinciding with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Institute’s impeccable infrastructure, and Professor Foblets’ congenial hospitality in particular, immediately made me feel at home in the Department; this was invaluable especially at a time when my home university (and soon thereafter the whole world) were becoming unsettled. Moreover, the atmosphere at the Institute has been conducive to fruitful exchanges both with fellow anthropologists, and with legal scholars working on cognate topics. In light of these conversations, I spent my fellowship revisiting my thesis draft and field materials, and have steered not only my thesis argument, but also my future research interests more firmly towards the nexus of law, morality, and politics."

—Ana Chiritoiu

"My fellowship in the Department of Law and Anthropology provided me with the resources and community I needed to finish my dissertation. I felt welcome at the Institute from the first day, and met a wonderful group of colleagues who were always happy to talk, work through a particular problem, or introduce me to Halle. The library in particular was fantastic, and the librarians went out of their way to locate important texts for my research. Although my stay was short, it allowed me to dedicate myself fully to my work and to be provoked and inspired by others. My stay has impacted not just my dissertation, but my broader thinking as an anthropologist. I only hope I will have the chance to visit the Institute again soon."

—David Thompson

"As a political geographer with a strong interest in anthropological enquiry and legal studies, the Dissertation Writing-up Fellowship in the Department of Law and Anthropology provided me with an opportunity to take part in the lively research community in Halle. I very much felt the support in the Department, and I was able to establish strong academic connections with other researchers. I had the chance to present my research in a departmental meeting and receive constructive feedback on my dissertation research. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the support of the library and administration staff, who were always there to assist despite all uncertainties that we have all experienced under the conditions of the Covid pandemic."

—Mert Peksen

"Following my commitment to the CUREDI Project at the Eurac Institute for Minority Rights in Bozen/Bolzano, I was offered the opportunity to visit the ‘Law & Anthropology’ Department in Halle as a guest researcher. An invitation I am particularly grateful for considering that it coincided with a peak phase of the pandemic. From a project- and research-oriented point of view my time at the Department allowed me to thoroughly delve into both the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights and the application of the European Convention on Human Rights concerning state recognition of (religious) groups and their practices. Furthermore, being an aspiring project coordinator myself, I would like to highlight and acknowledge not only the tremendous coordinative and organizational efforts underlying the ambitious CUREDI Project but also the commitment to quality displayed and ensured by those responsible. Finally, I would like to extend a special note of gratitude to Professor Foblets and Dr. Eugenia Relaño Pastor for welcoming me at the Institute and making my stay possible in the first place as well as to the administrative staff for facilitating my research despite the adverse circumstances. In retrospect my stay at the Department was a truly enriching experience sure to be cherished not only in view of my occupational development."

—Alexander Ganepola