Jochen Seebode received his MA in Social Anthropology in 1997 from the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the Freie Universität Berlin (Title of the M.A.-Thesis: "Ritual, Power, and Spirit Possession in Asante [South-Ghana]"). His regional interests cover sub-Saharan African societies where he has conducted fieldwork on spirit possession, youth cultures, popular dance and music. General research interests include the theoretical fields of political anthropology, popular culture, the anthropology of religions and of youth among others. Until March 2008 he was an assistant to Prof. Dr. Ute Luig at the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology at Freie Universität Berlin. Currently he is working on his PhD-Thesis about popular culture and male youths in post-Banda Malawi.

 

 

Education overseas

 

August 1998 – 2000: Research Fellow at the Department of Theology and Religious Studies (TRS), ChancellorCollege, University of Malawi, Zomba

1992 - 1993: Part-time student at the University of Ghana, Legon.

 

 

Fieldresearch

 

2001 Tanzania and Zanzibar (2,5 months). Topic: Popular Culture

1999: Malawi (6 months). Topic: Youth and Popular Culture in Northern Malawi (II)

1998 - 1999: Malawi (6 months). Topic: Youth and Popular Culture in Northern Malawi (I)

1992 - 1993: Ghana (10 months). Topic: Spirit Possession in Asante (South-Ghana); Popular culture in Ghana (II).

1990: Ghana (3 months). Topic: Popular Culture in Ghana (I).

1987: Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso (6 months).

 

 

Publications (Selection)

 

1998a "Aduro kum aduro". Ritual, Macht und Besessenheit in Asante(Südghana) ["Aduro kum aduro": Ritual, Power and Spirit Possession in Asante{South Ghana}]. (Spektrum. Berliner Reihe zu Gesellschaft, Wirtschaft und Politik in Entwicklungsländern, Bd. 56). Münster, Hamburg & London: LIT Verlag

1998b "I'm only doing our traditional": Besessenheit in Asante (Suedghana) ["I'm only doing our traditional": Spirit Possession in Asante {South Ghana}] In: Arbeitspapiere der Johann-Wolfgang von Goethe Universität [Working Papers of Johann-Wolfgang von Goethe University], No. 31. Frankfurt/M.

1999 Malipenga, Samba, Rap und Reggae - Anmerkungen zu Jugendkulturen in Nordmalawi. [Malipenga, Samba, Rap und Reggae - Remarks about Youth Cultures in Northern Malawi]. In: Sozialanthropologische Arbeitspapiere der Freien Universität Berlin, Institut für Ethnologie [Working Papers in Social-Anthropology of the Free University Berlin, Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology], SAAP, No. 81. Berlin

2003a Tanzwettkämpfe, Transformationsprozesse und Identität. Tanzstile junger Männer in Nordmalawi [Processes of Transformation and Identity. Dancing Styles of young Men in Northern Malawi]. In: Luig, U. und Seebode, J. (eds.): Ethnologie der Jugend. Soziale Praxis, moralische Diskurse und inszenierte Körperlichkeit [Anthropology of Youth. Social Practices, Moral Discourses and Body Performances]. Münster, Hamburg & London: LIT Verlag: 199-239.

2003b (together with Prof. Dr. Ute Luig): Vorwort: Jugendkultur = Jungenkultur? [Preface: Youth Culture = Culture of Male Adolescents?] In: Luig, U. und Seebode, J. (eds.): Ethnologie der Jugend. Soziale Praxis, moralische Diskurse und inszenierte Körperlichkeit [Anthropology of Youth. Social Practices, Moral Discourses and Body Performances]. Münster, Hamburg und London: LIT Verlag: 7-8.

2003c (together with Prof. Dr. Ute Luig): Einleitung. Ethnologie der Jugend: Soziale Praxis, moralische Diskurse und inszenierte Körperlichkeit [Introduction. Anthropology of Youth: Social Practices, Moral Discourses and Body Performances]. In: Luig, U. und Seebode, J. (eds.): Ethnologie der Jugend. Soziale Praxis, moralische Diskurse und inszenierte Körperlichkeit. Münster, Hamburg und London: LIT Verlag: 9-40.

2004 Die Gottheiten tanzen, die Gottheiten sprechen. Besessenheit in Asante (Südghana). [The gods dance, the gods talk. Spirit Posession in Asante (Southern Ghana)] In: Dilger, Hansjörg; Wolf, Angelika; Frömming, Undine und Volker-Saad, Kerstin (eds.): Moderne und postkoloniale Transformation. Schrift zum 60. Geburtstag von Ute Luig [Modernity and post-colonial Transformation. Reader in honour of Ute Luig's 60^th Birthday]. Berlin: Weißensee Verlag: 146-161.

2007 'Malawis Populärmusik, männliche Jugendliche und die Medien.' ['Malawi's Popular Music, Male Youths, and the Media.'] In: journal-ethnologie.de, 5: Digitale Welten [Digital Worlds]. (http://www.journal-ethnologie.de/)

• (submitted for publication 02/2008) Youth and Popular Culture in Malawi: Informal Male Youth Groups and Popular Music. For publication in: Sociologus (Special issue on “Youth on Africa: Creating and transforming knowledge”, ed. by Elisabeth Boesen)

• (forthcoming 2008) Popular Music and Young Male Audiences in Malawi. In: Charry, E. (ed.): African Music for the 21^st Century. (working title)

 

 

Edited Volumes

 

2003 Luig, U. und Seebode, J. (eds.): Ethnologie der Jugend. Soziale Praxis, moralische Diskurse und inszenierte Körperlichkeit [Anthropology of Youth. Social Practices, Moral Discourses and Body Performances]. Münster, Hamburg und London: LIT Verlag

• (in preparation): Co-editor of Feldforschung. Ethnologische Zugänge zu sozialen Wirklichkeiten [Fieldwork. Anthropological Perspectives of Social Realities]. (together with Peter Berger, Jeanne Berrenberg, Berit Fuhrmann and Christian Strümpell). Berlin: Weissensee Verlag.

 

 

Appearances in the print media and broadcastings

 

2002a Participation in an international round-table discussion about the "Love Parade"(together with Mark Asamoah, Gudrun Gut, Arturo Saucedo, Moderation: Christian Schröder), published with the title "Dance the Friedrich Nietzsche. Is Techno in Mexico political? And is there also a DJ culture in Africa? A round table discussion about the 'Love Parade'". In: Der Tagesspiegel, [Berlin daily Newspaper], 13.07.02: 23.

2002b Interview with Lydia Rilling and Doreen Maas: "The academic discipline of cultural difference: About Social and Cultural Anthropology at Free University of Berlin." UniRadio Berlin-Brandenburg: UniRadio 87,9; 10.2.2002, 19.00 - 21.00 hours. Part of the Program "An Approach towards 'Culture' in seven Parts". Radio Broadcast.

2002c (together with Dr. Lidia Guzy, Moderation by Gesine von Leers): "Saved by Witches?" (round table discussion about the meaning of religion and religiousity in inter-cultural perspective). Open Channel Berlin, 17.8.2002, 20.00 - 21.00 hours. TV Broadcast.

 

 

Films

 

2002 Mambo vipi? 22min. Excursion to Tanzania. Documentary Film, Tanzania, Berlin, 2002 (together with Urte Undine Frömming and Kristian Petersen)