Dr. Hans Steinmüller

Biography

Hans Steinmüller has conducted long-term fieldwork in Hubei Province, central China, specifically in the Wa hills along the China-Myanmar border. His research investigates the major changes occurring in family lives, work, rituals, and rural development, identifying contradictions between local practices and official discourse. His monograph, "Communities of Complicity," highlights these themes. Steinmüller's related research interests include the meanings of cynicism, irony, and justice within the context of Chinese politics. His empirical project focuses on the history of militarism in the highlands of Myanmar, with a primary interest in understanding the sovereignty of the Wa State, a de-facto state governed by an insurgent army. Based on long-term fieldwork in Wa State, he writes about the relationships between village communities and the army, exploring military economies and para-nationalism. Additionally, Steinmüller is interested in general theoretical questions in Social Anthropology, particularly concerning attention, care, legibility, and opacity. He has explored these themes in recent collaborations, including a special issue entitled "Ends of Egalitarianism: Governing Opacity." As a convenor of the MSc programme in China Comparative Perspective and editor of "Social Analysis," his expertise spans topics including political economic anthropology, moralities, ethics, irony, ritual, and gambling.

Research Interests

Experience