Yannik van den Berg

Yannick van den Berg - Studies in Human Geography, Ethnology and Sociology as well as a Diploma Supplement in Science Research at the University of Basel with stays at the Universities of Bern, Lucerne and University of the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg). Ethnographic research stays in Cameroon, South Africa, Namibia and Switzerland. From 2023: Additional training in Somatic Experiencing.

Curriculum

2017-2022: PhD student and research associate in SFB 1015 Leisure. Boundaries, Spatiotemporality, Practices. For my dissertation, entitled Religiosity in Everyday Life and the Experience of Church Services in North-central Namibia: A Comparative Ethnography of Anglican and Charismatic-Pentecostal Churches in Oukwanyama, I am investigating worship practices. To do this, I lived an everyday life in northern Namibia and participated in the worship of several churches: an Anglican congregation near the border with Angola (Odibo), and an Anglican congregation in Katutura, Windhoek. I contrast these experiences with descriptions of worship as it is practiced in a newer, charismatic congregation in Oshikango.

Regional Research Focus

Southern Africa
Namibia (especially Oukwanyama)
Swiss alpine region

Thematic Research Focus

Ethnography and ethnomethodology
Anthropology of religion and ritual theory
Embodiment and bodily experience
Sound and listening
Emotions and personal development