​
Gerhard Hoffstaedter
THE BOOKS
My research interests span the fields of anthropology, politics, international relations, sociology, development and religious studies. For papers and articles I have published in academic journals and books, see here. For media commentary click here and a project I co-founded on free education can be found here.
Modern Muslim Identities: Negotiating Religion and Ethnicity in Malaysia
​
This book xplores the relationship between the Malaysian state and its citizens in creating and maintaining fixed identities. This book focuses on new modalities of being Muslim in a modern world. It develops the concept of 'Islamicity' to make sense of contemporary modern Islamic religiosity that is applicable to a range of modernizing Muslim countries.
Why Human Security Matters: Rethinking Australian foreign policy
​Edited by Dennis Altman, Joseph A. Camilleri, Robyn Eckersley and Gerhard Hoffstaedter
​
Threats to Australian security today are more likely to come from climate change or international criminal networks than in the form of a military attack. Why Human Security Matters sets a framework for understanding human security, from food supply to drug cartels, setting Australian issues in a regional context.
Urban refugees around the world: Challenges in Protection, Services and Policy
​Edited by Gerhard Hoffstaedter and Koichi Koizumi
Urban refugees now account for over half the total number of refugees worldwide. Yet to date, far more research has been done on refugees living in camps and settlements set up expressly for them. This book provides crucial insights into the worldwide phenomenon of refugee flows into urban settings, repercussions for those seeking protection, and the agencies and organizations tasked to assist them. It provides a comparative exploration of refugees and asylum seekers in nine urban areas in Africa, Asia and Europe to examine issues such as status recognition, international and national actors, housing, education and integration. The book explores the relationship between refugee policies of international organisations and national governments and on the ground realities and demonstrates both the diverse of circumstances in which refugees live, and their struggle for recognition, protection and livelihoods.
