Annotations
| Nr. | Topic | Annotations |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Antisemitism at the turn of the 20th/21st century in Slovakia. Historical and ethnological analysis | The topic of anti-Semitism in Slovakia in the 1990s and the first decade of the 21st century is a pilot research of this issue. As a starting point, it assumes an orientation in the issue of left-wing anti-Semitism/anti-Zionism from the Communist Party (KSČ) environment of the normalization period. Theoretically, it will draw on the analyses of Róbert Wistrich, Daniel J. Goldhagen, Zygmund Bauman and other theoretical concepts. Methodologically, it will be based on the heuristics of contemporary sources (periodical press, media outputs, political documents before and after the EU accession, etc.) and biographical method/oral history of public and political figures. An important part will be the analysis of the memoir/autobiographical literature "after November". Interpretation of sources presupposes discursive analysis. |
| 2. | Visual Representation in the Context of the Gülen Movement. | The Gülen or Hizmet movement is an Islamist fraternal movement. It is a sub-group of Sunni Islam based on the theological teaching of Said Nursi as reflected in Fethullah Gülen's religious teachings. The movement is considered conservative in Turkey but some have praised the movement as a pacifist, modern-oriented version of Islam, and an alternative to more extreme schools of Islam such as Salafism. Following the 2016 coup attempt, the Gülen movement is classified as a terrorist organisation in Turkey, but still very active outside Turkey, especially in Europe and the US. It has a strong economic background and a globally connected organisational structure. The movement is publishing and disseminating its teachings throughout the world in Turkish, English, German and many other languages. These publications show us Gülen's teachings not only in textual form but also in visual representation. The covers of the books and the illustrations of the movement's magazines represent an original visual reception of Islam and the world and therefore deserve to become the subject of scholarly investigation. |
| 3. | The relationship between man and nature in ancient Maya culture from the perspective of Viveiros de Castro's controlled equivocation. | The relationship between man and nature among the ancient Maya was very close, based on extant records. Yet the nature of this relationship is burdened with Western categories and concepts that take us away from understanding it. The aim of this thesis will be to examine the image of nature in both pre-Columbian Maya records and contemporary Maya communities, from the perspective of Eduardo Viveiros de Castro's so-called controlled equivocation. Rather than attempting to eliminate ambiguity (equivocation) between concepts in Maya and Western culture altogether, this method consciously manages it and uses it to reveal different ways of thinking. The aim will not be to translate cultural concepts mechanically, but to try to reveal the natural world of the Maya from the perspective of their own culture. |
| 4. | The object and its fate. The contextualization of Maya artifacts and their interpretive transformations in European museums. | The aim of the dissertation will be to focus on a selected range of Maya artefacts in a wide range of European museums and to map their 'fates'. By fate is meant the linking of the original contexts of the objects in their original culture, through their journey to Europe, and the new contexts they acquire over time. The work focuses on the stereotyping of meanings, the westernization of semantics and the reinterpretation of symbolism. Through the transformations of European cultures over time, Maya objects will be mirrored as a reflection of their own cultural expectations and social needs. The aim of the thesis is to show the complexity of interpreting an object from a foreign cultural context and our abilities and possibilities to understand it correctly. |
| 5. | Beyond Archives: Digital Research Collections as Dynamic Infrastructures for Knowledge Production in Ethnology and Social Anthropology | The rapid expansion of digital research collections has profoundly influenced how knowledge is curated, accessed, and utilised across disciplines. We invite applications for a doctoral research project to critically analyse the conceptual and methodological foundations of digital research collections relating to ethnographic research, cultural heritage, religions, and related fields and explore their role within contemporary research infrastructures. PhD student will investigate key principles of digital research collections, assessing how digital curation practices enhance data connectivity, interpretative depth, and epistemic innovation. The successful candidate will contribute to refining curation strategies addressing challenges of long-term usability, research integration, sustainability, interoperability, and technological adaptability of digital research collections. The theme is particularly suited for candidates interested in the intersection of digital humanities, knowledge management, and archival science. We seek motivated applicants with a strong academic background in ethnology or social anthropology, a keen interest in digital research infrastructures, and the ambition to contribute to contemporary cutting-edge discussions regarding data curation and scholarly ecosystems within these disciplines. The selected candidate will be able to work in an interdisciplinary research environment, contributing to theoretical advancements and applied innovations in digital knowledge organisation. For further details and application procedures, please contact the supervisor. |
| 6. | Photographs, videos and narratives in family memory | Photographs and videos, as components of family archives, (re)construct memories of individuals and social groups (from family to society). The dissertation project explores the relationship between "small" and "grand" narratives in family memory by exploring audiovisual sources. It specifically addresses the intergenerational transfer of memories in the context of individual and collective remembering. The research is grounded in the principles of multimodal anthropology and supports knowledge production through various methods across media. Beyond the obligatory textual component, other creative forms (video, series of photographs, comics, performance, etc.) are welcomed as part of the output. |
| 7. | Transformation of Roma identities on community and society levels | Based on historical and ethnographic research, the dissertation will trace the processes of transformation of the different identities of Roma (or other communities under this umbrella term) living in mixed or border regions. It will consider the existence of these identities in two dimensions: at the ethnic and national levels. Research can focus on specific parameters and aspects of these processes, e.g., ethnic mimicry, publicly declared identity, preferred ethnic identity, national civic identity, and European Roma identity. |
| 8. | More-than-Human Worlds: Exploring Human-Animal Connections through Sensory Ethnography | This research situates itself within the expanding field of multispecies anthropology, engaging with sensory ethnography to explore human- animal relationships beyond an anthropocentric framework. Addressing the entangled lifeworlds of humans and nonhumans, the study examines how sensory perception, embodied knowledge, and affect shape interspecies relationships, particularly in pastoral, hunting, and animal-training contexts. Drawing on Haraway’s (2003, 2008) concept of “companion species” and Tsing’s (2015) work on co-dependency in ecological systems, it highlights how animals actively participate in knowledge production, spiritual practices, and/or landscape navigation. The project can expand upon the existing ethnographic accounts of sensory engagement in the training of companion animals, including Whitney (1982) on Buzkashi, Marvin (1988) on bullfighting, Cassidy (2002) on English horse racing, Parkes (2005) on polo, Fajardo (2008) on cockfighting, Khalaf (2000) with regard to camel racing, Jerolmack (2013) on pigeon flying and Fijn on horse archery (2021). By foregrounding nonhuman agency, this project will contribute to debates on perception, embodiment, and interspecies co-becoming, advancing sensory anthropology’s role in understanding human- animal entanglements in diverse ecological and cultural settings. |
| 9. | Contemporary legends, rumours and conspiracy theories in their social, religious or cultural context. | Legends, rumours, and conspiracy theories have been significant factors in public affairs. They are studied in the social sciences as expressions of social anxieties and desires, as specific instruments of political power that influence intergroup relations, and as means of group identification. They are also part of contemporary mass culture, which significantly impacts the repertoire and forms of these narratives. Research may focus on face-to-face or online forms of communication, the narrative structure, historical development, social impact or argumentative strategies of these communication genres. Research methods are expected to draw primarily on folkloristic or ethnological approaches, but other interdisciplinary types of analysis are also relevant. |
| 10. | Labour and barriers to labour market access for ethnic minorities in a socio-anthropological perspective | The research analyses labour-related issues, including work in the informal economy and the follow-up life strategies of Roma to obtain work and income. The research identifies factors such as power asymmetries between Roma and non-Roma actors such as municipal leaders, employers or intermediary agencies that may enable or hinder Roma access to work and the labour market. The research is based on an interdisciplinary approach, dominated by ethnographic field research, but which can also be complemented by archival research or quantitative statistical methods. |
| 11. | 20th Century in Family/Community/Collective Memory | The events in the past 20th century are reflected today in intergenerational communication in families, communities, or at the macro level of society. How we remember the past reflects our current value anchoring and efforts to make sense of the past. The topic of the PhD study is focused on the issue of remembering the historical period of the candidate's choice, as well as the geographical scope of the research. The research of the forms and contents of memory of the historical period selected or historical phenomena/events should trace the relationship between communicative and collective memory, strategies of remembering, and/or silence and forgetting. Alternatively, the PhD project could focus on the dynamics of the remembrance politics and their impact on biographical and/or family memory. |
| 12. | Transnational Families in Central Europe in the 21st Century | Families today are evolving and adapting to new challenges. With increased mobility and modern technologies, many families live apart in different countries yet maintain strong relationships and a sense of belonging (Bryceson & Vuorela, 2002; Cienfuegos-Illanes & Brandhorst, 2023). Research within this topic will focus on these families' transnational practices, including (but not limited to) caregiving and social support, economic participation, the transmission of cultural practices, communication, and the broader context of transnational circulation of care (including paid care). Depending on the researcher’s interest and chosen approach, the research project may encompass various family groups, such as Slovak families with members working abroad (e.g. care workers), families fleeing the war in Ukraine, or families of economic migrants who are increasingly settling in Slovakia. A multi-sited ethnographic approach (Marcus, 1995), participatory research methods, and reflexive approaches are encouraged, alongside applying theoretical perspectives from the anthropology of care, migration studies, gender perspectives, and feminist theories. |
| 13. | Research on religion, spirituality, and non-religion in contemporary modern societies | In contemporary societies, we are witnessing an intense increase in the diversity of secular, religious, and spiritual attitudes. In the study of religions, we should, therefore, pay increased attention to how we grasp and name this growing diversity. The topic is open to interdisciplinary approaches that can shed light on lesser-known areas and deepen our understanding of what 'religion' is and its role in contemporary modern societies. |
| 14. | Marian Devotion in Europe: Historical Traces, Current Forms, Interdisciplinary Perspectives | Families today are evolving and adapting to new challenges. With increased mobility and modern technologies, many families live apart in different countries yet maintain strong relationships and a sense of belonging (Bryceson & Vuorela, 2002; Cienfuegos-Illanes & Brandhorst, 2023). Research within this topic will focus on these families' transnational practices, including (but not limited to) caregiving and social support, economic participation, the transmission of cultural practices, communication, and the broader context of transnational circulation of care (including paid care). Depending on the researcher’s interest and chosen approach, the research project may encompass various family groups, such as Slovak families with members working abroad (e.g. care workers), families fleeing the war in Ukraine, or families of economic migrants who are increasingly settling in Slovakia. A multi-sited ethnographic approach (Marcus, 1995), participatory research methods, and reflexive approaches are encouraged, alongside applying theoretical perspectives from the anthropology of care, migration studies, gender perspectives, and feminist theories. |
| 15. | Religion, Minority, and Family Structures | This dissertation focuses on researching family structures within the Jewish minority community in a Central European city during the interwar period. It evaluates family and household structures in terms of size and relationships, following the methodologies of Laslett and Hammel. The study also examines internal family structures, including employment, geographical origins, and the degree of endogamy within the ethnically and religiously diverse environment of Košice. By conducting individual interviews with the oldest members of the community today, the research reflects on and supplements quantitative findings, allowing for a comparison with historical data. The primary source for this study consists of digitised census sheets from the 1930 population census. This dissertation presents a comprehensive approach to assessing relationships between different identities within the context of religious and ethnic affiliation. It offers an in-depth perspective on a socially, economically, and culturally significant community in an interwar urban setting. Methodologically, the research applies historical demography, religious studies, and anthropological research methods. |