Boris Wille
1st Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Burkhard Schnepel
2nd Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Ursula Rao (Leipzig University)
Mentor: Dr. Daniele Cantini
Overview
Competing Political Cultures: the Maldives in Transformation
The brutal murder of prison inmate Eevan Nassem by his guards was the spark that initiated the formation of an opposition movement in 2003. Ever since political activists have fought for democratic reforms. From 2004 onwards a new constitution was drafted and finally put into effect in August 2008. In the same year the opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed won the first multi-party elections and became President of the Maldives. On the 7 February 2012, however, President Nasheed announced his resignation after protests had turned violent and police and military forces had joined the opposition. Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik succeeded him and formed a coalition government with all political parties, but the largest single party – Nasheeds Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). This change of government was contested by MDP supporters as a coup d'état and triggered the longest and largest series of protests the Maldives has seen in history.
The controversial transfer of power represents only the latest episode to a longer and much deeper transformation of Maldivian society. Particularly since 2003 the strong pro-democracy movement established a new line of separation and integration that was alien to the island nation before. This new line cuts across all realms of the social fabric and is not limited to the day-to-day political sphere. The societal transformations occurring along this new line are at the centre of my dissertation project. My analysis focuses on competing political cultures. The material I generated during fieldwork in 2011/12 suggests that Maldivian political culture has two poles. At the one extreme of a scale are the principles of patronage and nepotism and at the other extreme is a political culture that stresses participation, grass roots engagement and reform. The aim of this thesis is to elaborate how both political practices inform and transform each other to reach a nuanced understanding of the contemporary Maldivian political processes.
Education and Employment
Since April 2014
Stipend at the Graduate School "Society and Culture in Motion"
Since June 2011
PhD Candidate at Institute for Social Anthropology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
October 2010 - September 2011
Project co-ordinator, academic assistant, webmaster, Media Agency Saxony-Anhalt
April 2005 - September 2010
Academic assistant, Programme Department, Media Agency Saxony-Anhalt
January 2008 - August 2010
Student assistant at the chair for South Asia and the Indian Ocean, Institute for Social Anthropology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
October 2003 - September 2010
Master of Arts (Magister Artium) in Social Anthropology and Media and Communication Studies, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
2002
A-Levels (Abitur)
Teaching
Summer Term 2012
Modul: „Social Research Methods" am Mandhu College, Male', Malediven
Summer Term 2011
Seminar: „Grundbegriffe der Ethnologie Indiens: ,Kasten‘, ,Stämme‘, ,Klassen‘“ [Basic concepts in the Anthropology of India: ,caste‘, ,tribe‘, ,class‘] given at the Institute for Social Anthropology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
April 2010
Seminar: „Jugendmedienschutz in Deutschland“ [Youth media protection in Germany] held at WiB e.V., Co-institute of the University of Potsdam (a course for teachers)
February 2009
Seminar: „Jugendmedienschutz in Deutschland“ [Youth media protection in Germany] held at WiB e.V., Co-institute of the University of Potsdam (a course for teachers)
Winter Term 2006/2007
Tutorial adjoint to the lecture „Introduction to Social Anthropology“ given at the Institute for Social Anthropology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
Publications
Monographs
2013 (forthcoming). Situating Scheduled Tribes. Knowledge between Anthropology and Administration in Orissa. Südasienwissenschaftliche Arbeitsblätter, edited by Rahul Peter Das at South-Asia-Studies-Section of Institute for Oriental Studies, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg.
Other Publications
2008. Hinduistische Hochzeiten und fotografische Praktiken. Eine Exploration visueller Kultur in Bhopal, Indien. Cargo 28: 41-45. [Hindu marriages and photographic practices. An exploration of visual culture in Bhopal, India]
2007. Salve Bakkalaureus. Konzeption und Wahrnehmungen des Bachelor-Studiengangs Ethnologie in Halle. Cargo 27: 41-44. [Salve Bakkalaureus. Comcept and perception of the BA Anthropology in Halle]
Fieldwork and International Experience
October 2011 - December 2011, January 2012 - September 2012
Fieldwork in the Maldives as part of the dissertation project
April 2008 - July 2008
Fieldwork for M.A. thesis in Orissa, India in close Co-operation with the Department of Anthropology, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar. Project title: „Situating Scheduled Tribes. Knowledge between Anthropology and Administration in Orissa“
February 2006 - April 2006
Guided fieldwork in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. Project title: „Shooting Shaadis. Formalisierungs- und Standardisierungspraktiken bei hinduistischer Hochzeitsfotografie in Bhopal, Indien“ [Shooting Shaadis. Practices of Formalisation and Standardisation in Hindu Marriage Photography]
July 1998 - July 1999
Youth exchange in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia as part of the Rotary Youth Exchange Program
Memberships
EASA European Association of Social Anthropologists (http://www.easaonline.org )
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Völkerkunde (http://www.dgv-net.de )
Bengal Link e.V. (http://bengallink.org )
Gemeinnütziger Verein zur Förderung der Cargo – Zeitschrift für Ethnologie e.V. (http://cargo-zeitschrift.de )
Further Presentations, Conference Organisation, Initiatives
Presentations
September 2011
Presentation: "Die Produktion von 'Stämmen': Anthropologisch-administrative Wissenspraxis in Indien" [The production of 'tribes': anthropologic-administrative epistemic practice in India] given during the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Völkerkunde Conference, University of Vienna/Austrain Academy of Sciences
July 2011
Presentation: „Indische Hochzeitsfotografie zwischen Illusion und Dokumentation“ [Indian marriage photography between illusion and documentation] held in the context of Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften [long light of sciences] at South-Asia-Studies-Section of Institute for Oriental Studies, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
July 2006
Multi-media-presentation: „Indische Augenblicke“ [Indian Moments] held in the context of Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften [long night of sciences] at Max-Planck-Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle
Conference Organisation
Conference Organisation
19 & 20 September 2011
Network conference media competence Saxony-
Anhalt (project co-ordinator, academic assistant, webmaster) http://www.medien-kompetenz-netzwerk.de/
Initiatives
June 2006 - November 2008
Member of editorial board and Layout for Cargo Zeitschrift für Ethnologie
Languages
German (native), English (excellent), Spanish (basic), Russian (basic), Hindi (basic), Dhivehi (basic)