Gerd Baumann

André Gingrich

Lecturer in Social Anthropology Gerd Baumann

Issues of the construction of Self and Other, normally in the context of social exclusion of those perceived as different, have assumed a new urgency. This collection offers a fresh perspective on the ongoing debates on these questions in the social sciences and the humanities by focusing specifically on one theoretical proposition, namely, that the seemingly universal processes of identity formation and exclusion of the 'other' can be differentiated according to three modalities. All contributors directly engage with rigorous empirical testing and theoretical cross-examination of this proposition. Their results have direct implications not only for a more differentiated understanding of collective identities, but also for a better understanding of extreme collective violence and genocide.

A Structural Approach

Grammars of Identity/alterity

The Miri society of the Nuba mountains in Sudan is a culturally unique and ethnographically important group--while they have been unusually receptive to a wide range of influences from the Muslims of northern Sudan, their strongly-felt sense of local integrity has by no means been lost. In the first detailed ethnography of the Miri, Gerd Baumann shows how this group exemplifies many of the processes conducive to the national integration policies conceived by politicians, planners, and the media for Sudan and multi-ethnic states.

The Miri of the Nuba Mountains in the Sudan

National Integration and Local Integrity

Multicultural Riddle is a comprehensive exploration of all the issues that shape our search for a multicultural society. The book examines how we can establish a state of justice and equality between and among three groups: those who believe in a unified national culture, those who trace their culture to their ethnic identity, and those who view their religion as their culture. To solve the multicultural riddle, one must rethink national identity, ethnicity and the role of religion in the modern world.

Lecturer in Social Anthropology Gerd Baumann

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