My research focuses on the Indonesian middle class, questions of femininity, consumption and religious propriety. Broadly, my research analyzes the cultural politics of appearance and aesthetics. I work in two major cities on Java, Yogyakarta and Jakarta. In Yogyakarta, I work in two middle-class neighborhoods, one older and one newer, in which I have come to know many of the families in my research on domesticity. I have also studied the growing phenomenon of women's self-improvement seminars, and issues of dress and manners. More recently, I have turned to questions of Islamic dress as Indonesia, the largest majority-Muslim country in the world, has become a vibrant site for a global Islamic fashion industry. This growth has raised questions within Indonesia about the relationship between religion and wealth, a topic I theorize through the lens of feminist ethnography. I find that anxieties about illegitimate wealth, corruption and scandal are gendered as forms of style.
ANTH 1155 - Exploring Global Cultural Diversity
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2020 / Fall 2020
Examines the geography, kinship, politics and religious values of various cultures globally in historical and contemporary context through an anthropological perspective. Check with department for semester offerings. May be repeated up to 9 total credit hours.
ANTH 4525 - Global Islams
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2019
Examines the historical formation of Islam in Indonesia and Southeast Asia so as to situate contemporary Islamic practices in a global context. Recommended prerequisite: ANTH 2100.
ANTH 4760 - Ethnography of Southeast Asia and Indonesia
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2021
Introduces the historical, political, and cultural dimensions of Southeast Asia, focusing primarily on Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia, with some coverage of mainland Southeast Asia. Recommended prerequisite: ANTH 2100. Same as ANTH 5760.
ANTH 5785 - Advanced Seminar in Cultural Anthropology
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018
Details the history of theory and practice in contemporary cultural anthropology, considering the development of major theoretical schools of thought and the integration of general social theory within anthropology. Required of masters students in cultural anthropology.
ANTH 7200 - Bridging Seminar
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2021
Addresses important topics with current theoretical perspectives from at least two anthropological subdisciplines. This provides an interdisciplinary approach across the sub-disciplines of Anthropology: Archaeology, Biological, and Cultural enabling students to better understand and appreciate a holistic approach to anthropological inquiry. Graduate students from other departments may be allowed to take the course if room permits and they have an appropriate background by instructor's permission.
