Anthropological Forum· 2026Q2
How to Compare Queer Muslim Pilgrimage in Malaysia and Germany? Epistemological Challenges of an Anthropological Topos
- 0citations
- Q2SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
A new comparative framework, combining 'multilevel comparison' and 'comparison as epistemology,' enables productive analysis of queer Muslim pilgrimage in Malaysia and Germany by integrating theory with methodology.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Comparison in anthropology is often taken for granted but is methodologically challenging.
- A new framework combines 'multilevel comparison' and 'comparison as epistemology' for more productive comparative studies.
- The framework is illustrated by comparing queer Muslim pilgrimage in Malaysia and Germany.
- Integrating theory with methodology is crucial for effective anthropological comparison.
- Defining research objects theoretically, encompassing global and local aspects, is essential.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Comparison in sociocultural anthropology is taken for granted as a method of analysis, yet, ‘impossible' to do so. This article demonstrates by comparing queer Muslim pilgrimage in two different but interconnected places (Malaysia and Germany) that a comparative study in anthropology dismisses its potential if it is merely understood as a methodology. Grounded in a combination and further development of Schnegg's (2014) method of ‘multilevel comparison' and de Matos Viegas' (2009) ‘comparison as epistemology,' it is revealed that this methodology needs to intersect with theory. To illustrate this point, the term ‘queer' is taken as an example. It demonstrates the necessity for a theoretical definition of the research object that encompasses both global and local dimensions. This approach eventually enables the identification and demonstration of tensions and challenges through comparison, only thereby establishing a productive source for comparison.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Anthropological Forum, 2026 · DOI ↗
Continue with a free account
Ask the paper: 3 free questions a day about this paper; save it, get its citation, new summaries every day for your field. Takeaways are Premium.
Continue free on the webSign in with Google or Apple; no card needed. You come back to this paper.
On your phone:
Field: Anthropology
AnthropologySocial Sciences