Jon Anderson is a socio-cultural anthropologist who specializes in the anthropology of religion (ritual and symbol systems) and politics, new media and the social life of information technologies, and the Middle East. He has done field research in Afghanistan and Pakistan on tribalism and Islamic cosmology, and on Catholics in the Bible Belt South.

He is currently doing research on the communications and information revolution in the Arab world, transnational cultures and the social organization of international "cyberspaces."

Former editor of the multidisciplinary Middle East Studies Association Bulletin (1992-96), Program Chair of the American Anthropological Association (1995), chair of its Advisory Group on Electronic Communication, and President of the Middle East Section of the AAA (2000-02).

Recent publications: Reformatting Politics: Information Technology and Global Civil Society (co-edited with Jodi Dean and Geert Lovink, 2006), "Des communautés virtuelles? Vers une théorie techno-practique de'Internet dans le monde arabe," Maghreb-Machrek (Winter 2004); "New Media, New Publics: Reconfiguring the Public Sphere of Islam," Social Research (Fall 2003);   New Media in the Muslim World (co-edited with Dale F. Eickelman, 1999, second edition 2003);   Arabizing the Internet (1998);  "Globalizing politics and religion in the Muslim world," Journal of Electronic Publishing (September 1997);  "The Middle East & North Africa," Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology (1996); The Culture of Bible Belt Catholics (with William Friend. 1995).

E-mail:  anderson@cua.edu

This page was last updated on 08/09/07.