Dr. phil. Ibrahim Ankaoglu
CV
Ibrahim Ankaoglu pursued studies in Anthropology, History, Geography, and Archaeology at the University of Cologne, achieving his Magister Artium degree in 2007 with the thesis titled "The House in the Focus of Austronesian Orientation Systems: Spatial Dispositions and the Spectrum of Meaning in Vernacular Architecture of Insular Southeast Asia". After graduation, he embarked on a seven-month exploratory journey across various highland societies in insular Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. From 2007 until the end of 2009, Ankaoglu served as a research assistant and lecturer at the University of Cologne. He continued his scientific expeditions in 2007 with comprehensive field research conducted in South Palawan (Philippines) over 12 months between 2010 and 2011, funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). From 2011 to 2014, Ankaoglu served as a research associate and lecturer at the University of Lucerne, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF). During this period, he also conducted numerous fieldworks in South Palawan, as well as in various regions in Southeast and East Asia, including China. His academic focus encompasses Economic Anthropology, the Global History of Economy and Human Migration, Geopolitics in ethnicity-related topics, and Maritime History, particularly in societies across Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. Additionally, his research covers the rise and impact of disruptive digital technologies on modern Asian nations and the complex changes in global connectivity in the 21st century. Additionally, he organized seminars and delivered lectures on the Environmental Relations of Egalitarian Societies, State Anthropology, and the Anthropology of Religion, with a particular emphasis on Islam in Southeast Asia.
During the period of composing his dissertation (2014-2020), which he successfully defended and published through the Lucerne Open Repository, University of Lucerne, Ibrahim Ankaoglu spent considerable time in the highland regions of mainland Southeast Asia and in East Asia, particularly in China. His mission was to gather comparative data on ethnic groups in marginalized retreats, while also investigating China's urbanization, global trade, and digitalization. In several consecutive stays, he spent a total of one and a half years in China, not only in urban hubs like Chengdu and Guangzhou but also exploring rural areas in the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu, Qinghai, Guizhou, and Shaanxi. Beyond his regional expertise in Asia, Ankaoglu also brings international experience from the Middle East and Central America.
In his dissertation, “Beyond the State? Anarchy and Subsistence Economy among the Tau't Batu in the Highlands of Palawan (Philippines)", Ibrahim Ankaoglu delved into the complex economic subsistence strategies of the Tau't Batu. This highland community, dwelling in the secluded and less developed areas of Southern Palawan, is examined through a profound inquiry into their livelihood mechanisms and socio-economic resilience. The research elucidates the pivotal role of economic strategies and decisions in preserving an egalitarian and autonomous lifestyle, as well as their economic system's deep entwinement with the community's social cohesion. Contrary to the assertions of anthropological anarchists, the study refutes the notion that Southeast Asian highland societies are merely "retreat communities" evading state integration. Instead, it posits that they have autonomously withdrawn into isolated regions for centuries. This comprehensive analysis demonstrates how sociocultural factors, predominant egalitarian values, and a unique subsistence economy are integral to a retreat theory. Such a theory facilitates comprehension of why highlanders, such as the Tau't Batu, deliberately choose to withstand state marginalization and maintain their existence in the seclusion of their mountainous abodes.
Research
Research Priorities
Thematic interests
- Economic Anthropology
- Human-Environment Relations
- Global Economic History, with a particular focus on Globalization and Human Migration
- Maritime History and Societies of Southeast Asia and Indian Ocean
- Leadership, Networks, and Hierarchy
- Asian Perspectives, Culture, and Modernisation
- Political Anthropology and Geopolitics in Modern Asia
- Disruptive Technologies and global connectivity
Regional interests
- East and Southeast Asia
- Near East
- Latin America
Publications
2023
Jenseits des Staats? Anarchie und Subsistenzwirtschaft bei den Tau´t Batu im Hochland von Palawan (Philippinen). doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10137907
2011
Ecological Keystones and Resource Management in the Highland of Palawan: A Case Study in the Singnapan-Valley. In: The Palawan Scientist. Western Aborlan University. 5 (11): 50-63
2009
Das Haus im Fokus austronesischer Orientierungssysteme. Räumliche Dispositionen sowie Sinn- und Bedeutungsspektren in der vernakularen Architektur im insularen Südostasien. Köln: Kölner Ethnologische Beiträge (Herausgegeben von Michael J. Casimir), Heft 36 (Buchpublikation)
Vorträge
15.10.2020
«Anarchie und Subsistenzwirtschaft bei den Tau´t Batu. Eine ethno- logische Fallstudie im Hochland von Palawan (Philippinen)». Vorstellung der Dissertationsresultate am Ethnologischen Seminar der Universität Luzern.
15. Sep. 2017
Subsistence Pattern and Resource Management of the Tau`t Batu people in the Highland of Palawan. In: Southeast Asia Meeting Up. Tagung zu aktuellen Forschungsprojekten in Südostasien. Universität Zürich
25. Apr. 2013
Ethnologie des Islams des Nahen und Mittleren Ostens. Senioren-Universität Luzern
04. Sep. 2011
Raumnutzungsstrategien und Ressourcenmanagement im Hochland von Palawan. Eröffnung der Universität Luzern, Tag der offenen Tür 3./4. September 2011
23. Mär. 2009
Klimaveränderung und Vulnerabilität auf den Philippinen. Workshop der AG Klima und Kultur: Gesellschaftliche und klimatisch-ökologische Veränderungen im Übergang zum Mittelalter und zur kleinen Eiszeit, Berlin
25. Nov. 2006
Das Haus im Fokus austronesischer Orientierungssysteme. Vorstellung der MA Arbeit am Institut für Ethnologie der Universität Freiburg in Breisgau