Associate Professor Gerhard Hoffstaedter

Associate Professor

School of Social Science
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
g.hoffstaedter@uq.edu.au
+61 7 336 51211

Overview

Gerhard has a BA in Social Anthropology and Politics/International Relations and an MA in Social Anthropology from the University of Kent at Canterbury and was awarded a PhD in anthropology and sociology from La Trobe University. From 2014-2017 he was an Australian Research Council DECRA research fellow.

He conducts research in development studies, on refugee and immigration policy and spiritual and existential security as well as religion and the state. He is a regular commentator in newspapers, radio and online media on topics of his research.

His first book entitled Modern Muslim Identities: Negotiating Religion and Ethnicity in Malaysia is published by NIAS Press. He is co-editor of a volume on human security and Australian foreign policy published by Allen and Unwin/Routledge as well as one on Urban refugees: Challenges in Protection, Services and Policy, published by Routledge.

He is a senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is also course director for World101x: Anthropology of current world issues, UQs fifth edX massive open online course. The course offers 9 weeks of anthropological episodes with an array of additional resources, including a host of interviews with fellow anthropologists. There is also a curated list of interviews with anthropologists and panels on the youtube and facebook channel.

Research Impacts

I regularily write for the press and appear on radio and TV interviews on my research topics. I volunteer with refugee organisations and provide information to stakeholders.

I am committed to the free dissemination of knowledge and the principles embedded in free education. I am a co-founder of the Melbourne Free University and have given talks at the Brisbane Free University. I also run a free Massive Open Online Course on the anthropology of current world issues on edX and run an interview series with anthropologists, which is available via youtube as well as a series of filmed panel discussions with UQ anthropologists.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, La Trobe University
  • Masters (Coursework), University of Kent
  • Bachelor of Arts, University of Kent

Publications

View all Publications

Available Projects

View all Available Projects

Publications

Book

Book Chapter

  • Riordan, Tyler, Robinson, Richard N.S. and Hoffstaedter, Gerhard (2023). Seeking justice beyond the platform economy: migrant workers navigating precarious lives. A Sustainable Tourism Workforce. (pp. 92-109) London: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003435457-6

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard (2023). People smuggling in Southeast Asia: Rohingya, Myanmar Muslim and Chin experiences of transgressing borders. Global human smuggling: buying freedom in a retreating world. (pp. 290-307) edited by Luigi Achilli and David Kyle. Baltimore, MD, United States: Johns Hopkins University Press.

  • Riordan, Tyler, Robinson, Richard and Hoffstaedter, Gerhard (2023). Contactless delivery: migrant experiences in the platform economy. Platform labour and global logistics: a research companion. (pp. 245-262) edited by Immanuel Ness. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003351764-20

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard and Lamb, Nicole (2021). Fear and Loathing in Legal Limbo: Reimagining the Refugee in Malaysian Public Discourse and History. Discourses, Agency and Identity in Malaysia. (pp. 317-328) edited by Zawawi Ibrahim, Gareth Richards and Victor T. King. Singapore: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-981-33-4568-3_13

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard (2020). Participant observation. SAGE encyclopedia of sociology of religion. (pp. 567-570) edited by Adam Possamai and Anthony J. Blasi. Thousand Oaks, CA United States: SAGE Publications.

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard (2020). Rohingya people. SAGE encyclopedia of sociology of religion. (pp. 708-711) edited by Adam Possamai and Anthony J. Blasi. Thousand Oaks, CA United States: Sage Publications.

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard (2018). Theme Parks, Anthropological Study of. The International Encyclopedia of Anthropology. (pp. 1-5) edited by Hilary Callan. Oxford, United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons. doi: 10.1002/9781118924396.wbiea1646

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard and Perrodin, Louise (2017). Life in limbo: refugees in Malaysia. Illusions of democracy: Malaysian politics and people. (pp. 139-156) edited by Sophie Lemiere. Petaling Jaya: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre. doi: 10.1515/9789048542666-013

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard (2015). Between a rock and a hard place: Urban refugees in a global context. Urban refugees: challenges in protection, services and policy. (pp. 1-10) edited by Koichi Koizumi and Gerhard Hoffstaedter. London: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781315733258-1

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard (2015). Postscript. Urban refugees: challenges in protection, services and policy. (pp. 269-270) edited by Koichi Koizumi and Gerhard Hoffstaedter. London: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781315733258-14

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard (2015). Urban refugees and the UNHCR in Kuala Lumpur: Dependency, assistance and survival. Urban refugees: challenges in protection, services and policy. (pp. 187-205) edited by Koichi Koizumi and Gerhard Hoffstaedter. London, United kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781315733258-11

  • Clarke, Matthew, Hoffstaedter, Gerhard and Tittensor, David (2014). Conclusion: Invisible aid: Islam, Muslim NGOs and development. Islam and development: exploring the invisible aid economy. (pp. 197-206) London, United Kingdom: Routledge.

  • Clarke, Matthew, Hoffstaedter, Gerhard and Tittensor, David (2014). Invisible aid: Islam, Muslim NGOs and development. Islam and development: exploring the invisible aid economy. (pp. 197-205) edited by Matthew Clarke and David Tittensor. Surrey, United Kingdom: Ashgate.

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard (2014). Islam Hadhari: Membentuk Muslim Sederhana dan Moden. Bangkit: Tempoh Pentadbiran Abdullah Badawi di Malaysia. (pp. 196-206) edited by Bridget Welsh, James U. H. Chin and Noor Amin bin Ahmad. Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre.

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard (2014). Islam hadhari: membentuk Muslim sederhana dan moden. Bangkit: tempoh pentadbiran Abdullah Badawi di Malaysia. (pp. 196-206) edited by Bridget Welsh and James Chin. Petaling Jaya: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre.

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard (2014). Islamic praxis and theory: negotiating orthodoxy in contemporary Malaysia. Religious diversity in Muslim-majority states in Southeast Asia: areas of toleration and conflict. (pp. 253-267) edited by Bernard Platzdasch and Johan Saravanamuttu. Singapore: ISEAS Publishing. doi: 10.1355/9789814519656-016

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard (2014). Malaysia: Reactionary. Figures of Southeast Asian modernity. (pp. 176-178) edited by Joshua Barker, Eric Harms and Johan Lindquist. Honolulu, HI, United States: University of Hawaii Press.

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard and Roche, Chris (2013). 'All the world's a stage': structure, agency and accountability in international aid. Millennium development goals: looking beyond 2015. (pp. 21-35) edited by Matthew Clarke and Simon Feeny. Abingdon, Oxon, England: Routledge.

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard (2013). God is the greatest: multiple forms of Muslim religiosity in Peninsular Malaysia. Faith in the future: understanding the revitalization of religions and cultural traditions in Asia. (pp. 251-268) edited by Thomas Reuter and Alexander Horstmann. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill. doi: 10.1163/9789004233669_013

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard (2013). Islam Hadhari: making moderate, modern Muslims. Awakening: The Abdullah Badawi years in Malaysia. (pp. 354-363) edited by Bridget Welsh and James U. H. Chin. Malaysia: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre.

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard and Tittensor, David (2013). Religion and development: prospects and pitfalls of faith-based organizations. Handbook of research on development and religion. (pp. 402-412) edited by Matthew Clarke. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9780857933577.00031

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard (2013). Religious pluralism in Malaysia: can there be dialogue?. Culture, religion and conflict in Muslim Southeast Asia: negotiating tense pluralisms. (pp. 41-51) edited by Joseph Camilleri and Sven Schottmann. Abingdon, Oxon, England: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203079980

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard and Clarke, Matthew (2012). Mission and the wane of the secular. Mission and development: God's work or good works?. (pp. 189-196) edited by Matthew Clarke. New York, NY, United States: Continuum International Publishing Group.

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard and Roche, Chris (2012). Security from below: an alternative perspective on human security. Why human security matters. (pp. 148-166) edited by Dennis Altman, Joseph A. Camilleri, Robyn Eckersley and Gerhard Hoffstaedter. Crows Nest, NSW Australia: Allen & Unwin.

  • Hoffstaedter, Gerhard (2012). The prohibition of usury in Islam. Interpretations of law and ethics in Muslim contexts. (pp. 121-121) edited by Aptin Khanbaghi. Edinburgh, United Kingdom: Edinburgh University Press.

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Other Outputs

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

Completed Supervision

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.