300122 Localising state and democracy: Perspectives from Social Anthropology (S) (WiSe 2010/2011)

This seminar aims to give an overview of social-anthropological approaches, concepts and debates that focus on democratisation processes within the postcolonial state. Social anthropology challenges the perspectives dominant in political science which analyze democratic transitions by focusing on political institutions and formal regime shifts. The anthropology of democracy suggests that local interpretations, negotiations and practices of democracy go beyond the “democratic imaginary” of Western countries. At the local level, democratisation processes e.g. affect the daily delivery of public goods and services. Furthermore the meanings of the term democracy are intensely contested among diverse actors, who are linked by unequal power relations.
The seminar sheds light on these different understandings and ways of conceptualizing democracy and democratisation from an actor-oriented perspective. How are the democratic models, promoted by external actors, appropriated, interpreted and translated into diverse settings? By what kind of processes and institutions is democracy localised? On whose terms are democratic engagements actually negotiated? Discussions on the basis of selected empirically grounded studies undertaken in Africa and South Asia will address these questions and highlight aspects of the social, political and cultural significance of democratisation, its gendered structuration and historical situatedness.

Requirements for participation, required level

The seminar is open for master and diploma students. The seminar requires good English reading competences and is planned to be held in English but according to the abilities and needs of the students we might also switch to German.

Bibliography

• Paley, Julia (2008) Democracy: Anthropological Approaches, Santa Fe: School for Advanced Research Press
• Akhil Gupta, Aradhana Sharma (Hg.) (2005) The Anthropology of the State: A Reader, London: Blackwell
• Veena Das/Deborah Poole (Hg.) (2004) Anthropology in the Margins of the State, Santa Fe: School of American Research Press
• Pfaff-Czarnecka (2003) Demokratisierung und Nation-building in ‚geteilten’ Gesellschaften, Institut für Weltgesellschaft : Working Paper, Universität Bielefeld