Society and Culture in Modern India

The research group "Society and Culture in Modern India" is headed by Prof. Patrick Eisenlohr since September 2012. Its members draw on theories and methods from the disciplines of anthropology and sociology to analyze questions of religious and ethnic diversity in contemporary India and in Indian diasporas, paying special attention to urban contexts and their transnational dimensions. A main goal for the members of the group is to contribute to broader analytical debates in the study of religion, media, and sociocultural diversity on the basis of their research on social and cultural transformations in contemporary India and Indian diasporas. The key themes this group engages with are:

  • Media and religion
  • Transnational and transregional religious networks
  • Sonic dimensions of religion
  • Religion in the city
  • Language and religion
  • Civic Islam and the public sphere
  • Religion and questions of citizenship in India and Indian diasporas



Members of the research group: Prof. Patrick Eisenlohr, Dr. Natalie Lang, Johan Oommen Muzhangody

Former research staff:
Dr. Stefan Binder
Dr. Radhika Gupta
Nandagopal R. Menon