Anthropology is a cultural and social science that examines the global diversity of human ways of life, exploring their differences and similarities. It studies societies, social groups, and everyday life within political, economic, social, religious, or aesthetic contexts. At the same time, it critically reflects on the cultural and social assumptions that shape our own ways of thinking and living. A particular focus of Anthropology in Mainz is on the ways in which global processes interact with specific local contexts.

Anthropologists primarily use qualitative ethnographic research methods, such as participant observation, informal conversations, and interviews. They carry out long-term, immersive research with communities and individuals, in order to understand their perspectives and ways of life. This particular approach enables them not only to explore the unfamiliar but also to critically question what is taken for granted in their own lifeworld.

The ifeas is one of the largest institutes for Anthropology and African Studies in Germany. Our teaching and research cover a wide range of topics, including globalisation, cultural change, migration, care, racism, social inequality, ecology, capitalism, media, popular culture and music, literature, and critiques of Western knowledge production. Africa, its peripheries (such as the ‘Black Atlantic’ or the Indian Ocean), and diasporas are central to our work, nevertheless our research and teaching also focus on other parts of the globe.