Berend Timmer (Leiden University)

 
Submitted: Mon, 03 Jun 1996 11:27:12 +0100 (MET)


Berend Timmer, M.A.

Affiliation:     
Research School CNWS
Leiden University
PO Box 9515
2300 RA 
Leiden
The Netherlands

Mail address:    
Boerhaavelaan 134
2334 ET 
Leiden
The Netherlands

phone:    31-0-71-5157717
fax:      31-0-71-5272939
e-mail:   Timmer@Rullet.LeidenUniv.nl


Activities:
Currently I am finalizing my Ph.D thesis in Social Anthropology, more
specifically: ritual and society among the Mandinko. 

In my PhD thesis I show how social identities are constructed within the
context of a Mandinka village in The Gambia. Aspects of a person's social
identity are not equally important in all social contexts. That is,
different contexts articulate different aspects of someone's social
identity. The study of life cycle rituals (naming ceremony, marriage and
funeral) is a very fruitful line of approach to give a detailed image of
how social identity is (trans-) formed. One's ethnic identity, for
example, is only relevant in certain contexts, whilst in other contexts
his/her identity as host or stranger seems to be of more relevance. 

Research interests:
'Social phenomena are not discrete; each phenomenon contains all the
threads of which the social fabric is composed' (Mauss: 1923-24). Bearing
Mauss' words in mind structural anthropology has developed a way of
studying societies, especially in regard to societies in Indonesia, in
which special attention is given to the study of ritual. Already in 1935
Van Wouden wrote: `it is in the ritual that the human and cosmic powers
interact in order to ensure the preservation and continuation of
everything, that is, of society as a whole'.  Relationships within this
`whole' are continued by exchanges. Not only in Indonesia but also in
other parts of the world, like Africa, ritual plays a central role in the
continuation of society; it is a creative act. For example, by
participating in ritual people become `persons'. The ritual relates them
to other persons, ancestors and gods; to `human and cosmic powers'. 
      
A number of subjects which fall within the scope of the study of society
as illustrated here, are of great interest to me. These include the (a)
CONCEPTUALISATION OF MAN, a topic which is widely debated in an African
context by French anthropologists like Griaule c.s. However this approach
has been criticized for its insufficiency in rooting `la notion de
personne' into society's social morphology; (b) ETHNICITY versus ETHNIC
GROUP, the study of which often does not go much deeper than an accurate
account of how people put (ethnic) labels on others and by doing so also
on themselves; (c) the study of SOCIAL IDENTITY at various levels of
society, ranging from the level of interpersonal relationship, through to
that between kin-groups, to that between `ethnic groups'. Only by
describing (d) the SOCIAL MORPHOLOGY meticulously the interrelatedness
between different levels can be shown. A special field of interest within
this are the ORAL TRADITIONS. The system's dynamics can be found in
ritual, a form of social action that - as no other - shows how social
systems and ideologies change. 
      
As I have conducted research in West Africa my knowledge of
ethnographical data is best when it comes to the region under consideration.
My interest for further research in terms of knowledge of ethnography (here
opposed to ethnology) will be aimed at Africa.

Teaching interests:
In teaching students anthropology two main goals are to be achieved: (1) 
giving them knowledge of anthropological theories over time, and (2)
teaching them how to conduct research. I consider both of equal importance
since knowledge of anthropological theory is worth nothing without knowing
how such knowledge is obtained. 
      
In addition to point (1) above, my main interests are structuralist,
post-structuralist anthropology and the anthropology of religion. In
addition to point (2) above, my prime interest is in the methodology of
qualitative research, especially kinship related fields, oral traditions
and to a lesser extent visual anthropology. 
      
As I have studied museology and worked in museums, I am also interested in
teaching on the manner in which societies are represented in museums,
especially those of Africa.