Dr. Janet Hoskins

Biography

Janet Hoskins is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Southern California. She received her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1984, and her research encompasses themes such as indigenous representations over time, the intersection of gender and narrative, and colonial and postcolonial theory, particularly focusing on Caodaism, a new universal religion founded in French Indochina in 1926. Hoskins has conducted extensive fieldwork with the Kodi people of Sumba, Indonesia, where she has examined indigenous calendars and historical narratives. Her notable works include 'Play Time: Kodi Perspectives on Calendars, History, and Exchange,' which won the Benda Prize for Southeast Asian Studies, and 'Headhunting and the Social Imagination in Southeast Asia,' which explores the cultural significance of headhunting rituals in the postcolonial era. Her current research includes the relationship between material culture and personal narratives, examining how individuals use objects to articulate their life stories. Hoskins has been recognized for her contributions to the field with numerous grants and awards, including a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship and the Lee Kong Chian Fellowship at Stanford National University. She is actively involved in various academic initiatives and has served in multiple leadership roles, including as Chair of the Anthropology Department and Director of the Center for Transpacific Studies at USC.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards