Dr. Fenella Cannell

Biography

Fenella Cannell is an Associate Professor specializing in Southeast Asian anthropology. She has conducted extensive research in kinship and religion in the United States, particularly focusing on the cultural dynamics within Filipino communities. Her fieldwork includes significant periods in the Philippines from 1988 to 1997, where she studied the Catholic rice-farming populations in rural areas affected by urbanizing influences, especially from Manila and the United States. Her research explores how individuals conceptualize 'culture' in post-colonial societies, emphasizing women's experiences related to arranged marriages, spirit-mediumship, and religion, including popular performances such as transvestite beauty contests. She has also researched the historical impact of American colonialism on education, kinship, and gender in the Philippines. Currently, Dr. Cannell mentors several postgraduate students conducting research across Indonesia and Southeast Asia, while also pursuing a two-year research project focused on American kinship and religion, particularly within Mormon communities in upstate New York and Utah. In addition to her field-based projects, she has published broadly on the intersecting relationships between Christianity and social theory, demonstrating her expertise in the Lowland Philippines, the United States, and various aspects of anthropology, including healing, mediumship, gender, and kinship.

Research Interests