Interview Tessa Diphoorn

Assistant professor at Cultural Anthropology

What is your research about?

My research is about security, violence and power. And I look at that in different ways in different places. For example, I researched private security in South Africa, but I also researched regulation of police violence in Kenya, and I am about to start researching firearms in Brazil, Germany and South Africa.  Different studies, but the overarching issue is: what does everyday safety mean to people? How do we deal with unsafe situations, and who or what do we ask for help when we feel unsafe? How do certain authorities like the state, but also private security companies, get that authority, and what impact does that have on our society?

How long have you been working at FSBS?

I started my PhD research here in 2007. I then worked in several places temporarily, including Sabanci University in Istanbul, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Leiden University. In 2016, I returned to Utrecht to work as an assistant professor.
 
What do you like about working at FSBS/UU? Why work here in particular?
What I really like about the Cultural Anthropology section here in Utrecht is that we have a very clear focus on political anthropology. So in terms of theme, my research fits very well here. Furthermore, I really like the university's focus on interdisciplinarity. Utrecht really is a forerunner on this front. I am collaborating with colleagues outside my own discipline on several projects. For example, through the strategic theme IOS [link] and the Contesting Governance Platform. I appreciate that the university offers all kinds of opportunities to work with people outside your own field of study.
 
I see that reflected in the education provided as well. I am also the founder and coordinator of the inter-faculty minor Re-Imagining Security. The possibility of setting up something like this is well supported. For me, that makes Utrecht unique.

How does the faculty contribute to your research?

Actually, many of my collaborations for my research are outside the faculty, and I mainly use the support for my teaching. Education is a big focus within our faculty. I'm sure that is the case at other faculties too, but I do feel that our faculty emphasises that. For example, we are clearly encouraged to use our research in our teaching, making our education truly research-driven. And I am encouraged to shape my teaching creatively. What helps with this is that the Educational Sciences programme is one of our faculty's programmes, so there is a lot of knowledge about education, which makes this faculty especially interesting.
 
One small caveat, however, is that there is a lot of emphasis on quantitative research methods within the faculty and much less on qualitative methods that we use a lot in anthropology. This applies to both research support and teaching. In anthropology, we consciously introduce students to both research methods. In other degree programmes, I think there could be more focus on qualitative research methods.

What do you think makes UU unique?

What makes our anthropology section unique here in Utrecht is especially visible in teaching. Our Bachelor’s students can do fieldwork for an extended period of time in their final year. Our teaching very clearly emphasises the importance of doing research and research skills.