Paper short abstract:

MA students, spanning diverse backgrounds and programs, share their transformative approach to anthropology in a two-semester research group seminar. This paper reflects on challenges and successes, offers insights into applying non-normative relations and speculative futures in museum studies.

Paper long abstract:

This paper presents the collaborative experiences of MA students from diverse backgrounds, programs, and countries participating in a two-semester research group seminar led by anthropologist Isabel Bredenbröker. The seminar series, titled "Non-normative relations wanted: Testing queer methods at the Berlin Ethnological Museum" and "Speculative futures wanted: Investigating queer temporalities at the Berlin Ethnological Museum," aimed to unpack theoretical approaches from anthropology, queer studies, museum studies, literature criticism, and global history to challenge the normative underpinnings of the museum.

In the first semester, students engaged in theoretical reflections and practical applications, presenting their projects at a student conference and curating an exhibition at the Humboldt Forum. The focus was on understanding and co-creating queer relations around objects, emphasizing the development of a queer methodology for the analysis and creation of non-normative relations within the museum context.

The second seminar explored speculative futures through queer temporalities and collective writing. The resulting narratives, intended for publication in the anthropological journal "Ethnofoor," attempt alternative ways of thinking, narrating, and envisioning heritage and archives in the past, present, and future by expanding the toolbox of anthropology with the creative potential of fiction.

Our contribution to this conference aligns with the theme of reflexivity in anthropology. We share our experiences of integrating theoretical reflections with artistic and curatorial practices, emphasizing the collaborative nature of our approach. This paper addresses the transformative potential of non-traditional and interdisciplinary learning journey, offering insights into the challenges and successes of applying queer methodologies.