Teaching courses


Anthropological Theory.

This course investigates key ideas and thinkers in the modern development of anthropology as a study field. It focuses on some of the most important schools of thought and debates, particularly how people and societies can be examined and conceptualized in relation to cultural dynamics in the premodern era, the rise of modernism, postmodernism, and post-humanism.

In addition to an introduction to early ideas about society, the course is divided into three major sections: the basis of anthropological thinking, the main lines of theoretical development, and contemporary approaches in anthropology.

I have included pre-recorded lecture podcasts, slides, lecture notes, assigned readings, and links to supplementary media and information in this online platform. In addition to online self-study, students are encouraged to participate in weekly classroom discussions.


Political Anthropology

This module explores the emerging field of ontological politics within political anthropology. Over four weeks, students will examine how different cultures conceptualize reality and the political implications of these diverse worldviews. The course delves into how ontological differences shape our understanding of nature, personhood, and technology, as well as their impact on political conflicts and social movements.

Key topics include multiple realities and the politics of nature, bodies and personhood in various ontological frameworks, and the role of ontological conflicts in contemporary political struggles. Through engagement with seminal texts by leading scholars, students will develop a critical understanding of how multiple realities coexist and compete in our interconnected world.


Seminar in Advanced Social Theories

This seminar explores the significant theoretical shift in contemporary anthropology known as the ontological turn. This course delves into the methodological and epistemological reorientation that places ontological questions at the heart of anthropological inquiry. The course will cover the contributions of key figures such as Roy Wagner, Marilyn Strathern, and Eduardo Viveiros de Castro, and how their works exemplify the ontological turn's emphasis on reflexivity, conceptualization, and experimentation. Throughout the seminar, students will be encouraged to critically engage with the text and supplementary readings, participate in discussions, and develop their analytical skills by applying ontological perspectives to their research interests. The course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the ontological turn and its significance in reshaping anthropological and social theoretical paradigms.


Thalasso-Anthropology.


This course dives into the world's oceans amidst the contemporary Anthropocene, analysing the relationship between anthropological research and the multiplicity of the oceans. Although earlier anthropological investigations may have touched upon maritime matters, their primary emphasis was on territorial-based exploration, the study of indigenous island communities, or the administration of resources derived from the sea. Nevertheless, as a consequence of persistent human-induced effects, most notably global warming and the subsequent disruption of ecological systems, the underwater environment of the ocean becomes a vital ecological system contending with these phenomena.

This course, based on my two-year underwater ethnographic fieldwork, aims to investigate posthumanist anthropology by addressing the emerging multispecies and neo-material waterscapes, particularly the entanglements of the current ecological crisis and concerns. In particular, the course attempts to provide a critical perspective on the interactions and shifting dynamics between humans, technology, underwater species, submerged objects, and the environmental imagination via underwater exploration.


Film, Fiction, and Anthropology

This course investigates anthropological possibilities through experimental thinking and imaginative illustration in films and fiction. We will focus on the intertwined processes of world-breaking and world-making, in which humans encounter a plethora of agents and changes brought about by climate, species, technology, extraterrestrials, human’s own alienation, and other living and nonliving "social" beings. We will be watching and reading selected sci-fi and cli-fi, some of which feature anthropologist as a protagonist, while others may employ anthropological debates as a backdrop or inspiration.

(Photo from Annihilation (2018) , film by Alex Garland, based on Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach Trilogy—Annihilation (2014))


Anthropology of Urban Dwelling and Design.

Many of the world's major cities, including Bangkok, are currently under pressure from population density, which has compelled city dwellers to live in higher-rise buildings. However, not everyone can afford such a luxury. As a result, many people are forced to live in cramped quarters and travel longer distances in order to work and live.

This course investigates the city's encounter with spatial limitation and attempts to comprehend how urban concerns influence housing design. And vice versa, how has changing urban housing design influenced city living? We will be paying attention to questions like: How will the move to more vertical housing affect different segments of the city's population when housing is more than just a place to live but also related to lifestyles, jobs, daily commutes, consumption, and relationships with others? Furthermore, what impact will this type of lifestyle have on the city as a whole?