Contributor, Southeast Asian Studies
Isabel Weitschies is an independent scholar based in Hanoi, Vietnam. Her research explores the intersections of spirit mediumship, local religious practices, commodification, digital media, and heritage politics, in particular in the context of Mother Goddess worship in contemporary Vietnam.
Her research approach combines participatory ethnographic research with a digital ethnography approach, most recently focusing on the social media usage of spirit mediums alongside the adaptation of spiritual motifs in current popular culture, including pop-music and cinema. While Vietnam is her main area of research, she also explores connections to mediumship practices in other parts of Southeast and East Asia in her works.
Isabel holds BA and MA degrees in Social and Cultural Anthropology from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. She is currently preparing for doctoral studies, furthering her engagement with the anthropology and intersections of religion and media in Southeast Asia.