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78104-01 - Research seminar: Shelter, Shame and «Naked Agency» in Anthropological Perspectives (3 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Serena Dankwa (serena.dankwa@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | This two-weekly course explores how «victims» of gendered violence and exploitation as well as migrant sex workers and other persons situated at the fringes of social propriety care for themselves and others. It focuses on the ways in which they are interpellated by social services and victim protection agencies and on the effects of shame and social stigma. What happens when experiences of violence and multiple marginalisation meet with both the demands of social services and feminist concepts of self-care and self-determination prevalent in women’s shelters and councelling settings? Based on my own ongoing ethnographic research at safe houses and a drop-in center for sex workers, it grapples with the encounters and dynamics that enfold in space that promise (at least some) safety. While the main focus will be on Switzerland, African feminist concepts, such as «naked agency», will be deployed to gain a deeper anthropological understanding of stigma, shame, and shelter. The course will also discuss the challenge of engaging research on social exclusion and at NGOs and humanitarian institutions. |
| Admission requirements | The number of participants is limited to 25 people. The places are assigned according to date of enrollment and subject of study. Priority will be given to the subjects listed under "modules". |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14-täglich | Friday | 10.15-14.00 | Ethnologie, grosser Seminarraum |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 20.02.2026 | 10.15-14.00 | Ethnologie, grosser Seminarraum |
| Friday 06.03.2026 | 10.15-14.00 | Ethnologie, grosser Seminarraum |
| Friday 20.03.2026 | 10.15-14.00 | Ethnologie, grosser Seminarraum |
| Friday 10.04.2026 | 10.15-14.00 | Ethnologie, grosser Seminarraum |
| Friday 24.04.2026 | 10.15-14.00 | Ethnologie, grosser Seminarraum |
| Friday 15.05.2026 | 10.15-14.00 | Ethnologie, grosser Seminarraum |
| Friday 29.05.2026 | 10.15-14.00 | Ethnologie, grosser Seminarraum |
| Modules |
Modul: Research Skills in Social and Cultural Anthropology (Master's degree subject: Anthropology) Module: Fields: Governance and Politics (Master's degree program: African Studies) Module: Interdisciplinary and Applied African Studies (Master's degree program: African Studies) Module: Migration, Mobility and Transnationalism (Master's degree program: Changing Societies: Migration – Conflicts – Resources) Specialization Module Global Europe: Work, Migration and Society (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Ethnologie |