Cynthia Keppley Mahmood
Notre
Office: (574)631-6433 Home:
(574)243-2840
Education
1986 Ph.D.
Anthropology,
Doctoral Dissertation: Rebellion and Response in Ancient
1981 M.A. Anthropology,
1977 B.A. Anthropology and Psychology, New College,
1973 Diplomas,
Atheneum in Katwijk aan Zee, the
Professional Positions
2001 - Associate
Professor of Anthropology,
Senior Fellow, Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies
1996-2000
Associate Professor of Anthropology,
1991-1996 Assistant
Professor of Anthropology,
1993-1994
Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology,
1986-1991
Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Central
1986 Adjunct
Professor of Anthropology,
1983-1986
Research Analyst,
Publications
Books
The Guru’s Gift: An Ethnography Exploring Gender Equality With North American Sikh Women (with Stacy Brady). Mountain View, California/London/Toronto: Mayfield Publishing Company, 2000. (Republished by McGraw-Hill, 2002)
Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues With Sikh Militants.
Series on Contemporary Ethnography.
Frisian and Free:
Study of an Ethnic Minority of the
Book Series (Editor)
The Ethnography of Political Violence.
Vol. 1 A Different Kind of War Story, by Carolyn Nordstrom, 1997
Vol. 2 Unraveling
Besteman, 1998
Vol. 3 Death Squad: The Anthropology of State Terror, edited by Jeffrey A. Sluka, 1999
Vol. 4
War and Slavery in
Vol. 5
Crossing the Green Line Between the
2002
Vol. 6
Masking Terror:
How Women Contain Violence in
Alexandra Argenti-Pillen, 2002
Vol. 7
Karaoke Fascism:
Vol. 8 Hitting Where It Hurts Most: The Traumatization of Argentine Society, by
Antonius Robben, 2005
Vol. 9 A Landscape of Hope and Despair: Palestinian Refugee Camps, by Julie Peteet,
in press.
Vol. 10
Child Soldiers in
Refereed Articles
and Chapters
“Sikhs in
“Anthropological Compulsions in a World in Crisis.” Anthropology Today 18(3): 1-2, 2002.
“Myth, Terror, and the Power of Ethnographic Praxis.” Journal of Contemporary Ethnography 30(5): 520-545, 2001.
“The Tile-Maker.” Anthropology and Humanism 13(1): 1-15, 2000.
“Writing the Bones.” Human Rights Review 1(1): 19-33, 1999.
“Trials by Fire:
Dynamics of Terror in
State Terror, ed. Jeffrey A. Sluka, pp. 70-90. Series on The Ethnography of Political
Violence.
“On Human Rights.” Abstracts of Sikh Studies 1(4): 5-16, 1998
“Playing the Game
of Love: Passion and Martyrdom Among Khalistani Sikhs.”
In
Martyrdom and National Liberation Movements, ed. Joyce Pettigrew, pp. 72-87.
Comparative Asian Studies Series No. 18.
“Hinduism in Context: Approaching a Religious Tradition Through External Sources.”
In The Anthropology of Religion: A Handbook, ed. Stephen Glazier, pp. 305-318.
“Asylum, Violence and the Limits of Advocacy.” Human Organization 55(4): 493-498,
1996.
“Why Sikhs Fight.” In
Anthropological Contributions to Conflict Resolution, ed. Alvin Wolfe
and Honggang Yang, pp. 14-32.
“Violence and the Culture of Sikh Separatism.” POLAR: Political and Legal Anthropology Review 17(1): 11-22, 1994.
“Ayodhya and the Hindu Resurgence.” Religion 24: 73-80, 1994.
“Rethinking Indian Communalism: Culture and Counter-Culture.” Asian Survey 33(7): 722-737, 1993.
“Do Ethnic Groups Exist? A Cognitive Perspective on the Concept of Cultures” (with Sharon Armstrong). Ethnology 31(1): 1-14, 1992.
“Muslim and Hindu Castes:
An Inquiry Into the Origins of an
Ideology.” Man in
“Transatlantic Interpretation: Insight or Insult?” Etnofoor (
“Sikh Rebellion and the Hindu Concept of Order.” Asian Survey 29(3): 326-340, 1989.
“Ethnicity, Equality, and the Political
Potential of Buddhism.” In Buddhism
and World Peace, ed. Sachindra Narayan, pp. 25-33.
“The Cultural Ecology of ‘Neighbor’s Duty’ in
In Progress
“The Jihadist Imaginary in South Asian Islam,” to be submitted to American Anthropologist.
“The Air India Bombing and the Politics of
Truth,” to be submitted to Cultural
Anthropology.
Special Subjects: Topographies of Identity and Violence in
Reduced
to Ashes: Disappearances, Cremations, and the Human Rights Question in
Book Reviews
“The Performance of Human Rights in
“The ‘Huddled Masses’ Myth”: Immigration and Civil Rights, by Kevin Johnson.” Journal of International Migration and Integration, in press.
“Paths to Collective Madness: A Study in Social Order and Political Pathology, by Dipak K. Gupta.” Political Psychology, September, 2003.
“Terror and Taboo: The Follies, Faces and Fables of Terrorism, by Joseba Zulaika and William Douglass.” American Ethnologist, 1998.
“Fieldwork Under Fire: Contemporary Studies of Violence and Survival, edited by Carolyn Nordstrom and Antonius Robben.” Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 1998.
“The Civility of Indifference: On Domesticating Ethnicity, by F.G. Bailey.” American Ethnologist, 1998.
“Merit and Blessing in Mainland Southest Asia in Comparative Perspective, edited by Cornelia Ann Kammerer and Nicola Tannenbaum.” American Anthropologist, 1997.
“Representing Hinduism: The Construction of Religious Traditions and National Identity, edited by Vasudha Dalmia and Heinrich von Stientencron.” Journal of Church and State, 1997.
“Elk Vist Op Zijn Tij: Een Historisch-Antropologisch Studie van een Zeeuwse Maritieme Gemeenschap, Yerseke 1870-1914 [Out With the Tide: A Historical-Anthropological Study of a Zeeland Maritime Community, Yerseke 1870-1914] by Rob van Ginkel.” MAST: Maritime Anthropological Studies, 1992.
“English Travelers Abroad 1604-1667, by John Stoye.” European Studies Journal, 1991.
Other Publications
“Being Human in a Violent World: What Should We Teach Our Children?” U.S. Institute of Peace Teaching Unit on Religion and Violence, 2005.
“Hearts, Minds, and Sustainable Peace in
“Fundamentals
of Extremism.” In History
Behind the Headlines: The Origins of Conflicts Worldwide.
“Agenda for an Anthropology of Peace.” Anthropology Newsletter, June, 2003.
“Why I Believe We Need to Talk To Extremists.” The Times Educational Supplement (
A
“
“NGO’s in International Peace-Making”
(with Geoffrey Wingard). In Magill’s
Guide to Military History, ed. John Powell.
“The
“
“The Abenaki
Wars” (with Anthony King). In Magill’s Guide to Military
History, ed. John Powell.
“
“
“The
“Disappearances in
“When They Read What We Write: Fighting For Faith and Nation.” Sangat (electronic), December, 1997.
“Residence Patterns.” In The International Encyclopedia of Sociology, ed. Frank Magill.
“The Hindu Caste System” In The International Encyclopedia
of Ethics, ed. John K. Roth.
“Jain Ethics.” In The International
Encyclopedia of Ethics, ed. John K. Roth.
“Sikh Ethics.” In The International
Encyclopedia of Ethics, ed. John K. Roth.
“Madhyamaka.” In The International
Encyclopedia of Ethics, ed. John K. Roth.
“Anthropological Ethics in Arenas of Violence.” Anthropology Newsletter, October, 1993.
“Is There a Hindu Majority?”
“Development or Destruction:
Walking the Fine Line in Action Anthropology.”
“Sikhs in
“Images
of
“Urbanization
and Class Alignment in
“The Politicization of Tradition in
Colonial
“Redefining Ahimsa in Political Buddhism”
(with John L. Fischer). Encyclopedia of Non-Violence. Ahmedabad:
Presentations, Speeches and Media Appearances
“Violence, Play, and the Problem of
Post-Conflict Healing.”
“Voices of Peace.” CBS Special Program on Religion and Violence, 2004.
“Genocide in Ethnically Divided
Societies.”
“Terrorists and Martyrs.” Teresa Dease
Memorial Lecture,
“Terrorists and Martyrs.” Teresa Dease
Memorial Lecture,
“Facing the Enemy.” Vision TV (
“Sikh Women: The Challenge of Faith.” Omni TV (
“Globalization and Terrorism: The Missing Piece.”
“Religion and Peacebuilding
in
“Border Myths:
Immigration, Security, and Terorrism.” Sixth National Metropolis Conference (
“Clash of Civilizations or Social
Capital?” Canadian Metropolis
Forum,
“Islamic Responses and Academic Responsibilities in the Wake
of 9/11.”
“Toward the Resolution of Conflict in
“Sikh Militancy and State Repression, or
What’s Wrong with ‘Terrorism’?”
“How Does a War on Terror Become a War on Rights?”
“Conflict in
“People of the Book.” Centennial Foundation,
“The Limits of War in an Age of
Terrorism.”
“Face to Face with Jihad.” National Public Radio, 2001.
“Sikh Radicalism and Asylum:
The Rights/Violence Dilemma.” University of Colorada Institute for
Asian Studies,
“Sant Jarnail
Singh Bhindranwale: Man, Martyr, Myth.” Symposium on the Legacy of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale,
“Sikh Militancy and the Air
“Religious Terrorism and Issues of
Biological, Chemical, and Radiological Weapons.” SAIC/Defense Intelligence
Agency Project, Maclean,
“Human Rights Discourse and the Balance of
Power.” Conference on Sikh Studies,
“Knowledge and Responsibility: Educating for the 21st
Century.” Distinguished
Lecture,
“Women Rebels of
“Torture at the Millenium” American Anthropological Association, Chicago, 1999. Panel Co-organizer and Discussant.
“Inscribing Power, Interpreting Pain,
Interrogating Politics.” Conference on Investigating and Combating Torture,
“Voices From the Dark of
Night.” Commemoration
of the Massacres of 1984,
“Islam in the
“The Khalsa at 300: Challenges for
the Future.” Sikh Tricentennial
Celebration,
“The
“Telling the Truth.”
“The Situation in
“Human Rights in
“Saint-Soldiers.” BBC World Service, 1998.
“Violence and the Sacred: Religious Militancy at the Milennium.”
“
“Update on Human Rights in
“Black Cats: Defining Treason and Nationhood in
“Women Seeking Asylum: New Frontiers in International
Law.” Women Studies
Conferences,
“The Challenge of Terrorism: An Anthropologist’s View.” Mid-Coast Forum on Foreign
Relations,
“Conflict in
“The Scholar as Activist: Problems and Paradoxes in the
Study of Conflict in
“The Status of the Sikh Militancy.” Immigration and Refugee
Board of
“Understanding Sikh Militancy.” Symposium on
“Understanding Violence in the Sikh
Militant Community.” Key Symposium of the Southern Anthropological Association,
“Sikh Nationalism in
“The Culture of Sikh Separatism.” Association for Asian
Studies,
“Resistance and Pluralism.” Sikh Symposium,
“Challenges Facing Sikh Youth.” United Sikh Association,
“Assessing Asylum Claims from
“Sikh Militancy and the Anthropology of
Resistance.” American
Anthropological Association,
“Deconstruction, Buddhism, and the Concept of Ethnicity.” American Anthropological Association, Chicago, 1991.
“Responses to Ethnography in
“The Establishment of a
“Images of
“An Anthropologist’s Role in Frisian Ethnonationalism.”
Society for Applied Anthropology,
“Equality, Ethnicity, and the Political
Potential of Buddhism.” International Congress of Anthropological and Ethnological
Sciences,
“Sikh Rebellion and the Hindu Concept of
Order.” American Ethnological
Society,
Grants and Awards
“Kroc Peace Institute Initiative on
Centennial Foundation Award for Excellence
in the Study of Sikhism,
“Ethnography of the
North American Sikh Service Award,
Sikh Heritage Book Award,
“Atrocities in
Ethnic Studies Development Grant,
“Women in Greek Cypriot Militancy.” Government of
“Women Rebels of
“Preliminary Investigation on Women in
Greek Cypriot Militancy.” Government of
Inducted into Phi Kappa Phi as outstanding
faculty member at the
“Films for Anthropological Teaching” (with Henry Munson). Bird and Bird Foundation Instructional Technology Grant, 1996.
“Refugee Warriors: Challenges to State Sovereignty in
Canadian Asylum Decisions.”
“Developing Gender Studies in
Anthropology.” Women
in the Curriculum Grant,
“Anthropological Contributions to the
Multiculturalism Debate.”
“Initial Assessment of the Sauria Paharia Tribe of
Central College Outstanding Performance Award for Teaching, 1989.
Teaching
Experience in teaching English as a Second Language (Sapporo, Japan); Elderhostel and Upward Bound Programs (Iowa); Catholic Relief Services Training (Notre Dame).
Founder and Director of ethnographic field
school in
Author of ancillary text materials for top-selling introductory textbook in anthropology, including instructor’s manuals, test banks, study guides, and overhead transparency sets, published by Harcourt Brace 1994- present.
Author of internet guide to anthropology resources for students, published by Thomson Educational Publishers, 2000- present.
Participant in Teachers as Scholars program, U.S. Institute of Peace, 2005. Taught seminar for K-12 teachers on “Religion, Conflict, and Peacebuilding.”
Undergraduate courses taught: Introduction to Anthropology; Minorities and Ethnic Groups; Archaeology; Human Origins; Cultural Anthropology; Civilization in South Asia; Magic, Witchcraft and Religion; Anthropological Theory; Anthropology of War and Peace; Gender and Anthropology; Gender and Violence; Ethnographic Method and Writing for Change.
Graduate courses taught: Origins of Violence and Cultures of Peace; Culture and Religion in Peacebulding; Genocide, Witness and Memory; Ethnic Conflict; Conflict Transformation and Strategic Peacebuilding.
Professional Service and Activities
Fellow, American Anthropological Association
Editorial Board Member, Sikh Formations: Religion,
Culture, and Theory
Article reviewer for Cultural Anthropology, American Anthropologist, Ethnology, Asian Survey, Peace and Change, Nationalism and Ethnic Politics
Manuscript reviewer for the University of California Press, Oxford University Press, Duke University Press, the University of Pennsylvania Press, Princeton University Press, the University of Chicago Press, the State University of New York Press, Routledge, and Westview
Consultant to agencies and departments of the
Consultant to agencies and departments of the Canadian government on asylum, terrorism, and security matters.
Consultant to agencies and departments of the British government on asylum, terrorism and security matters
Expert witness in legal cases relating to
Major institutional service:
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies; 2001-03.
Director of Graduate Studies, Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, 2003-05.
Executive Committee, Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies,
2001-05. Senior Fellow 2001- present
Asian Studies Core Faculty Member, 2001- present