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Mechthild von Vacano

Tel.: +49-761-203-3583
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Office hours in SoSe 2023 (in attendance): Tuesdays, 11:30-12:30

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Curriculum Vitae

since November 2022 Research Assistant at the Institute for Ethnology, Albert-Ludwigs University
Freiburg

October 2022 PhD at the Freie Universität Berlin, title of the dissertation "Economic Subjects at
Work: Livelihoods and Life Conduct in a Jakarta Neighborhood"

Since 2019 Trainer in continuing education for scientists*, especially for
doctoral candidates and doctoral students

2018 - 2019: BA study coordinator at the Institute for Social and Cultural Anthropology, FU Berlin

2014 - 2015 Research stay in Jakarta, funded by a DAAD- one-year scholarship for
doctoral students, affiliation with Universitas Indonesia

2011 - 2018: Research assistant at the Institute for Social and Cultural Anthropology
(formerly: Ethnology), FU Berlin

2009 - 2011: Research Associate at the International Academy for Innovative Pedagogy,
Psychology and Economics (INA) gGmbH at the FU Berlin

2008 - 2010 Lecturer at the Institute of Ethnology, FU Berlin and at the Institute of Asian and
African Studies, HU Berlin

2008 Magistra Artium at the Freie Universität Berlin (FU) (main subject: Ethnology,
minor subjects: Political Science (FU) and Southeast Asian Studies
at the Humboldt University Berlin (HU)

2005 - 2008 scholarship holder of the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation (study support)

Thematic Interests

  • Psychological Anthropology
  • Economic Anthropology
  • Anthropology of work
  • Gender/queer studies
  • Racism studies   
  • (Natural) Disaster Research
  • Torism research
  • Ethnographic writing

Regional Interests

Indonesia: Toraja, Sulawesi; Bantul, Java; Jakarta

Actual Research Activities

  • Follow-up of doctoral research: "Economic subjects at work: Livelihoods and life conduct in a Jakarta neighborhood".
  • Preparation of a habilitation project on "Neighborhood as an un/social relationship".

Main Publications

von Vacano, Mechthild. 2021. Going Gojek, or Staying Ojek? Competing Visions of Work and Economy in Jakarta’s Motorbike Taxi Industry. In: W. Monteith, D.-O. Vicol & P. Williams (Hg.): Beyond the Wage: Ordinary Work in Diverse Economies. Bristol, UK: Bristol University Press, 211-231. DOI: 10.51952/9781529208948.ch009.

von Vacano, Mechthild. 2019. Reciprocity in Research Relationships. In: T. Stodulka, F. Thajib & S. Dinkelaker (Hg.): Affective Dimensions of Fieldwork and Ethnography. New York: Springer, 79-86. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-20831-8_7.

von Vacano, Mechthild. 2019. Reciprocity Reconsidered: Towards an Ethic of Economic Participation. In: T. Stodulka, F. Thajib & S. Dinkelaker (Hg.): Affective Dimensions of Fieldwork and Ethnography. New York: Springer, 123-134. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-20831-8_11.

von Vacano, Mechthild. 2017. “Sharing economy” versus “informal sector”: Jakarta’s motorbike taxi industry in turmoil. In: ANUAC 6 (2): 97-101. DOI: 10.7340/anuac2239-625X-3076.

von Vacano, Mechthild, G. Findeisen und K. Großmann. 2015. Umkämpfte Gendernormen. In: G. Stange, R. Jordan & K. Großmann (Hg.), Handbuch Indonesien. Angermünde: Horlemann, 143-151

von Vacano, Mechthild, M. Zaumseil, S. Schwarz, G.B. Sullivan & J.E. Prawitasari-Hadiyono (Hg.). 2014. Cultural Psychology of Coping with Disasters - The Case of an Earthquake in Java, Indonesia. New York: Springer.

von Vacano und M. Zaumseil (Hg.). 2014. Understanding Disasters: An Analysis and Overview of the Field of Disaster Research and Management. In: M. Zaumseil, S. Schwarz, M. von Vacano, G.B. Sullivan & J.E. Prawitasari-Hadiyono (Hg.), Cultural Psychology of Coping with Disasters. New York: Springer, 3-44.

von Vacano, Mechthild, M. Zaumseil, S. Schwarz, G.B. Sullivan & J.E. Prawitasari-Hadiyono. 2014. A Cultural Psychological Framework for Coping with Disasters. In: M. Zaumseil, S. Schwarz, M. von Vacano, G.B. Sullivan & J.E. Prawitasari-Hadiyono (Hg.), Cultural Psychology of Coping with Disasters. New York: Springer, 85-102.

von Vacano, Mechthild, M. Zaumseil, S. Schwarz. 2014. Contextualizing the Research: Introduction to the Case Study in Java, Indonesia In: M. Zaumseil, S. Schwarz, M. von Vacano, G.B. Sullivan & J.E. Prawitasari-Hadiyono (Hg.), Cultural Psychology of Coping with Disasters. New York: Springer, 105-127.

von Vacano, Mechthild. 2014. The Material Dimension of Coping: Socioculturally Mediated Biophysical Process. In: M. Zaumseil, S. Schwarz, M. von Vacano, G.B. Sullivan & J.E. Prawitasari-Hadiyono (Hg.), Cultural Psychology of Coping with Disasters. New York: Springer, 183-201.

von Vacano, Mechthild und S. Schwarz. 2014. The Religious Dimension of Coping: The Roles of Cosmologies and Religious Practices. In: M. Zaumseil, S. Schwarz, M. von Vacano, G.B. Sullivan & J.E. Prawitasari-Hadiyono (Hg.), Cultural Psychology of Coping with Disasters. New York: Springer, 245-264.

von Vacano, Mechthild, M. Zaumseil, S. Schwarz, G.B. Sullivan & J.E. Prawitasari-Hadiyono. 2014. Concluding Remarks In: M. Zaumseil, S. Schwarz, M. von Vacano, G.B. Sullivan & J.E. Prawitasari-Hadiyono (Hg.), Cultural Psychology of Coping with Disasters. New York: Springer, 345-350.

von Vacano, Mechthild. 2010. ReiseReflexionen – SelbstBilder. Eine rassismuskritische Studie über Ethnotourismus in Tana Toraja, Indonesien. Berlin: regiospectra Verlag.

von Vacano, Mechthild. 2006. "Ethnologie aus kritisch-weißer Perspektive?!" In: Ethmundo, Nr. 2, Münster.

Teaching

Albert Ludwig University Freiburg

Winter Term 2022/2023:

  • BA: Economic Anthropology - Exchanging, Giving, (Ver-)Sharing - (Everyday) Economic Relationships from an Anthropological Perspective.

 

University of Berlin (FU)

Summer Term 2018:

  • BA: Academic writing for students of social and cultural anthropology, IfSKA, FU Berlin

 

Summer Term 2017:

  • Care/Work - Social Anthropological Colloquium [with B.Röttger-Rössler] IfSKA, FU Berlin.

 

Winter Term 2016/2017:

  • BA: Anthropology of Work - An Autoethnographic Approach, IfSKA, FU Berlin.
  • BA: Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology (Proseminar D), IfSKA, FU Berlin

 

Summer Term 2016:

  • MA: Self - Person - Subject, IfSKA, FU Berlin.

 

Winter Term 2015/2016:

  • BA: Social Structure, Politics and Economy: A Thematic Overview, IfSKA, FU Berlin.

 

Summer Term 2014:

  • MA: Indonesia: Ethnographies of the Economic, IfE, FU Berlin.
  • BA: Discourses of Integration in Germany - Theoretical Analyses of Racism, IfE, FU Berlin.

 

Winter Term 2013/2014:

  • BA: Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology (Proseminar C), IfE, FU Berlin.

 

Summer Term 2013:

  • BA: Introduction to (post)colonial ethnographies of Indonesia, IfE, FU Berlin.

 

Winter Term 2012/2013:

  • BA: Subject and theoretical history of social and cultural anthropology (Exercise C). IfE, FU Berlin

 

Summer Term 2012:

  • BA: Discourses of integration in Germany. IfE, FU Berlin

 

Winter Term 2011/2012:

  • BA: Subject and theoretical history of social and cultural anthropology (Exercise A). IfE, FU Berlin
  • BA: Subject and theoretical history of social and cultural anthropology (Exercise C). IfE, FU Berlin

 

Winter Term 2009/2010:

  • BA: Cyberethnology. IfE, FU Berlin

 

Winter Term 2008/2009:

  • BA: Ethnological views on gender and sexuality using Indonesia as an example. IfE, FU Berlin
  • ism in multiculturalism. Project tutorial. Institute of Cultural Studies, HU Berlin [with Ruth Hatlapa].

 

Humboldt University Berlin

Winter Term 2009/2010:

  • BA: Popular Culture and Identity in Indonesia. Institute for Asian and African Studies, HU Berlin

 

Summer Term 2006 and Winter Term 2006/2007:

  • Old and New Racism in Multiculturalism. Project Tutorial. Institute of Cultural Studies, HU Berlin [with Ruth Hatlapa].