Sarah Caldwell (California State University, Chico)

updated: Mon, 19 Jun 2000 15:00:49 -0700

Sarah Caldwell
Assistant Professor
Department of Religious Studies
California State University, Chico
Chico, California  95929-0740  USA

phone: 530-898-4165 
email: scaldwel@csuchico.edu

Description of work:

Kerala; South India; South Asia; India; Hinduism; South Asian Women;
Psychology; Psychoanalysis; Spirit possession; Gender;  Performance;
Ritual; Mudiyettu Ritual Theater; Bhagavati cult in Kerala;  Tantra;
Child Abuse; Sexuality; Goddesses; Anthropology

My primary research has been on the mudiyettu ritual theater of central
Kerala.  My theoretical interests include psychology and religion; the
relationship of trauma to spirit possession; worship of goddesses and
gender socialization; and the religious aspects of performance.  I am also
interested more generally in the anthropology of South Asia and the
anthropology of religion.  Current research topics include:  gendered
nature of initiation rituals in cross-cultural perspective; 
charismatic Hindu and Buddhist teachers and sexual abuse of disciples.