With the support of the FWF, social anthropologist Leonardo Schiocchet conducted a Lise-Meitner project exploring Austrian-Palestinian encounters, which are marked not so much by clear concerns and affiliations as by generations, values and experiences. Based on the results, he has developed a new research approach for the characterisation of cultural communities abroad. Continue reading “The diversity of Austro-Palestinian encounters”
Voodoo rituals are more than mere show. As Yvonne Schaffler was able to demonstrate with the support of the Austrian Science Fund FWF, such rituals fulfil important social and therapeutic functions. As a cultural and social anthropologist, she studied practices relating to possession by spirits in the Caribbean. Continue reading “From spectacle to trauma alleviation”
Among members of the ethnic-religious Druze minority in the Middle East, reincarnation is a generally accepted phenomenon. The social anthropologist Gebhard Fartacek documents cases of reincarnation and the concomitant social consequences, debates and conflicts. Continue reading “Transmigration of the soul – social disruptor or bond”
The motion patterns and voices of politicians influence the way in which their personality is judged. For example, expansive chopping movements of the arms create an impression of dominance within seconds. This has been demonstrated by a study conducted with the support of the Austrian Science Fund FWF. Continue reading “Politics: Where first impressions count”