This book is about the making and unmaking of socio-cultural differences, seen from anthropological, sociological and philosophical perspectives. Some contributions are of a theoretical nature, such as when the »problem of translation«, »the enigma of alienity« or »queer theory« are addressed; other contributors throw light on contemporary issues like the integration of Muslims in Norway, identity-forming processes in »Creole« societies or »neo-traditionalist movements« and »identity« in Africa. Moreover, the book deals with »strangers« looked at from an »anthropology of the night«. Special emphasis is placed on how globalization and the rapid spread of ever new technologies of information have generated ever new patterns of inclusion and exclusion, and how these can be theorized.

Autorentext

Richard Rottenburg and Burkhard Schnepel are both professors for cultural anthropology, Shingo Shimada holds a chair in Intercultural Sociology at the newly founded Institute for Ethnology (Cultural Anthropolgy) at Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. Their regional focus is on Africa (RR), India (BS) and Japan (SS). Their core topics include: "Anthropology of Law, Organization, Science and Technology in Africa" (RR), "Diaspora-Migration-Trans" (BS) and intercultural comparison/translation/intercultural understanding (SS).