Jan Küver | University Of Iringa (original) (raw)

Papers by Jan Küver

Research paper thumbnail of Framing participatory methods in provenance research: From the restitution of objects to a collaborative production of knowledge.

ICOFOM Study Series 52-1, 2024

Provenance research on European museum collections of colonial origin is a process of knowledge p... more Provenance research on European museum collections of colonial origin is a process of knowledge production from the reconstruction of collection items’ trajectories and the memories and meanings attached to them, often envisioning an eventual restitution to their supposed communities of origin. This paper examines how this process of examining and possibly returning physical relics of colonial extraction risks reproducing colonial knowledge and its accessibility. In order to counter this risk, it proposes a conceptual shift towards participatory approaches of engaging the scholarly as well as local communities on both sides in sharing and developing knowledge about and from the collections and creating equitable mutual access to the different layers of the produced knowledge. The thoughts presented here are supported with examples and experiences from collaborative field research on selected object collections from German museums in possible communities of origin in Tanzania.

Research paper thumbnail of Zur Fotosammlung Wilhelm Arning: Momentaufnahmen deutscher Kolonialgeschichte in Ostafrika

Research paper thumbnail of Vom deutschen Sammlungsdepot zu den Menschen in Tansania: Zur Gestaltung partizipativer Methoden in der Provenienzforschung anhand von Objekten aus Göttingen und Witzenhausen.

Research paper thumbnail of The Politics of Shared Heritage: Contested Histories and Participatory Memory Work in the Post-Colonial Urban Landscape

Springer eBooks, 2022

Shared heritage is a concept that serves to address cultural ties between countries or people tha... more Shared heritage is a concept that serves to address cultural ties between countries or people that emanate from colonial history, including conflicts and contestations as well as connections and commonalities. This contribution evaluates the potential of shared heritage to work as a tool for a transformative heritage management practice through exploring the post-colonial heritage landscape of Iringa, Tanzania. The historical dynamics of colonialism have left various tangible and intangible traces throughout Iringa Town and Region. Combining ethnographic and historical methods, this paper examines historical narratives of different social groups, representations of these trajectories in the regional museum, and community responses to buildings and sites of colonial origin in the cityscape. In line with UNESCO's Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach, observed applied conservation activities are discussed in the light of local development processes. I argue that shared heritage can serve as a viable concept to grapple with the colonial legacy vested in the HUL while at the same time using the discursive energy provided by these conflicts to support the cultural, social, and economic development of communities.

Research paper thumbnail of Cultural and Corporate Belonging in the Course of Transnational Biographies: A Case Study of a Sierra Leonean Immigrant in Germany

Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, Sep 29, 2009

How does cultural and corporate affiliation emerge in transnational biographies? How does it deve... more How does cultural and corporate affiliation emerge in transnational biographies? How does it develop under the influence of global and national power structures? These questions are addressed in this study that combines epistemological approaches dealing with the interplay of social and individual factors in identity formation with a structural analysis of historical power relations in form of racism and colonialism. Empirically this paper identifies how immigrants deal with challenges of integration into the host society and incorporate these experiences into their biographical self-construction. It concentrates on African and particularly Sierra Leonean immigrants in Germany. The findings are generated from a reconstructive analysis of selected biographical narrations which were scrutinized from different perspectives.

Research paper thumbnail of JKuever2020 Local culture, inclusive heritage management and community livelihoods

UNESCO World Heritage and the SDGs – Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of The Politics of Shared Heritage: Contested Histories and Participatory Memory Work in the Post-Colonial Urban Landscape

50 Years World Heritage Convention: Shared Responsibility – Conflict & Reconciliation, 2022

Shared heritage is a concept that serves to address cultural ties between countries or people tha... more Shared heritage is a concept that serves to address cultural ties between countries or people that emanate from colonial history, including conflicts and contestations as well as connections and commonalities. This contribution evaluates the potential of shared heritage to work as a tool for a transformative heritage management practice through exploring the post-colonial heritage landscape of Iringa, Tanzania. The historical dynamics of colonialism have left various tangible and intangible traces throughout Iringa Town and Region. Combining ethnographic and historical methods, this paper examines historical narratives of different social groups, representations of these trajectories in the regional museum, and community responses to buildings and sites of colonial origin in the cityscape. In line with UNESCO's Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach, observed applied conservation activities are discussed in the light of local development processes. I argue that shared heritage can serve as a viable concept to grapple with the colonial legacy vested in the HUL while at the same time using the discursive energy provided by these conflicts to support the cultural, social, and economic development of communities.

Research paper thumbnail of Embe Halijamenywa: The unpeeled mango. A qualitative assessment of views and preferences concerning voluntary medical male circumcision in Iringa Region Tanzania

This qualitative assessment was conducted in February 2011 in three districts of Iringa region to... more This qualitative assessment was conducted in February 2011 in three districts of Iringa region to inform the VMMC program implemented in Iringa Tanzania by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare with support from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program (MCHIP) (managed by Jhpiego) a USAID funded project. This formative work aimed to improve the understanding of the attitudes and beliefs of adult men and women that may enhance or hinder uptake of male circumcision (MC) in Iringa region and explore their people’s views on service delivery. (Excerpt)

Research paper thumbnail of Cultural and corporate belonging in the course of transnational biographies: A case study of a Sierra Leonean immigrant in Germany

Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung/Forum: …, 2009

How does cultural and corporate affiliation emerge in transnational biographies? How does it deve... more How does cultural and corporate affiliation emerge in transnational biographies? How does it develop under the influence of global and national power structures? These questions are addressed in this study that combines epistemological approaches dealing with the interplay of social and individual factors in identity formation with a structural analysis of historical power relations in form of racism and colonialism. Empirically this paper identifies how immigrants deal with challenges of integration into the host society and incorporate these experiences into their biographical self-construction. It concentrates on African and particularly Sierra Leonean immigrants in Germany. The findings are generated from a reconstructive analysis of selected biographical narrations which were scrutinized from different perspectives.

Research paper thumbnail of Man, what took you so long?" Social and individual factors affecting adult attendance at voluntary medical male circumcision services in Tanzania

Global Health: Science and Practice, 2013

In a study in Tanzania, men and women generally supported male circumcision; however, cultural va... more In a study in Tanzania, men and women generally supported male circumcision; however, cultural values that the procedure is most appropriate before adolescence, shame associated with being circumcised at an older age, and concerns about the post-surgical abstinence period have led to low uptake among older men.

Research paper thumbnail of Auf der Suche nach dem kulturellen Erbe von Iringa. Ein Gespräch über antikolonialen Widerstand, Museen und Tourismus mit Jan Küver

WerkstattGeschichte, 2018

This is an interview with Jan Küver project manager of Fahari Yetu based in Iringa/Tanzania. We t... more This is an interview with Jan Küver project manager of Fahari Yetu based in Iringa/Tanzania. We talked about the cultural heritage of the Iringa area in Central Tanzania, its colonial history, and the Iringa Boma Museum in Iringa City that is managed bei Fahari Yetu for the University of Iringa.

Research paper thumbnail of Framing participatory methods in provenance research: From the restitution of objects to a collaborative production of knowledge.

ICOFOM Study Series 52-1, 2024

Provenance research on European museum collections of colonial origin is a process of knowledge p... more Provenance research on European museum collections of colonial origin is a process of knowledge production from the reconstruction of collection items’ trajectories and the memories and meanings attached to them, often envisioning an eventual restitution to their supposed communities of origin. This paper examines how this process of examining and possibly returning physical relics of colonial extraction risks reproducing colonial knowledge and its accessibility. In order to counter this risk, it proposes a conceptual shift towards participatory approaches of engaging the scholarly as well as local communities on both sides in sharing and developing knowledge about and from the collections and creating equitable mutual access to the different layers of the produced knowledge. The thoughts presented here are supported with examples and experiences from collaborative field research on selected object collections from German museums in possible communities of origin in Tanzania.

Research paper thumbnail of Zur Fotosammlung Wilhelm Arning: Momentaufnahmen deutscher Kolonialgeschichte in Ostafrika

Research paper thumbnail of Vom deutschen Sammlungsdepot zu den Menschen in Tansania: Zur Gestaltung partizipativer Methoden in der Provenienzforschung anhand von Objekten aus Göttingen und Witzenhausen.

Research paper thumbnail of The Politics of Shared Heritage: Contested Histories and Participatory Memory Work in the Post-Colonial Urban Landscape

Springer eBooks, 2022

Shared heritage is a concept that serves to address cultural ties between countries or people tha... more Shared heritage is a concept that serves to address cultural ties between countries or people that emanate from colonial history, including conflicts and contestations as well as connections and commonalities. This contribution evaluates the potential of shared heritage to work as a tool for a transformative heritage management practice through exploring the post-colonial heritage landscape of Iringa, Tanzania. The historical dynamics of colonialism have left various tangible and intangible traces throughout Iringa Town and Region. Combining ethnographic and historical methods, this paper examines historical narratives of different social groups, representations of these trajectories in the regional museum, and community responses to buildings and sites of colonial origin in the cityscape. In line with UNESCO's Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach, observed applied conservation activities are discussed in the light of local development processes. I argue that shared heritage can serve as a viable concept to grapple with the colonial legacy vested in the HUL while at the same time using the discursive energy provided by these conflicts to support the cultural, social, and economic development of communities.

Research paper thumbnail of Cultural and Corporate Belonging in the Course of Transnational Biographies: A Case Study of a Sierra Leonean Immigrant in Germany

Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, Sep 29, 2009

How does cultural and corporate affiliation emerge in transnational biographies? How does it deve... more How does cultural and corporate affiliation emerge in transnational biographies? How does it develop under the influence of global and national power structures? These questions are addressed in this study that combines epistemological approaches dealing with the interplay of social and individual factors in identity formation with a structural analysis of historical power relations in form of racism and colonialism. Empirically this paper identifies how immigrants deal with challenges of integration into the host society and incorporate these experiences into their biographical self-construction. It concentrates on African and particularly Sierra Leonean immigrants in Germany. The findings are generated from a reconstructive analysis of selected biographical narrations which were scrutinized from different perspectives.

Research paper thumbnail of JKuever2020 Local culture, inclusive heritage management and community livelihoods

UNESCO World Heritage and the SDGs – Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of The Politics of Shared Heritage: Contested Histories and Participatory Memory Work in the Post-Colonial Urban Landscape

50 Years World Heritage Convention: Shared Responsibility – Conflict & Reconciliation, 2022

Shared heritage is a concept that serves to address cultural ties between countries or people tha... more Shared heritage is a concept that serves to address cultural ties between countries or people that emanate from colonial history, including conflicts and contestations as well as connections and commonalities. This contribution evaluates the potential of shared heritage to work as a tool for a transformative heritage management practice through exploring the post-colonial heritage landscape of Iringa, Tanzania. The historical dynamics of colonialism have left various tangible and intangible traces throughout Iringa Town and Region. Combining ethnographic and historical methods, this paper examines historical narratives of different social groups, representations of these trajectories in the regional museum, and community responses to buildings and sites of colonial origin in the cityscape. In line with UNESCO's Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach, observed applied conservation activities are discussed in the light of local development processes. I argue that shared heritage can serve as a viable concept to grapple with the colonial legacy vested in the HUL while at the same time using the discursive energy provided by these conflicts to support the cultural, social, and economic development of communities.

Research paper thumbnail of Embe Halijamenywa: The unpeeled mango. A qualitative assessment of views and preferences concerning voluntary medical male circumcision in Iringa Region Tanzania

This qualitative assessment was conducted in February 2011 in three districts of Iringa region to... more This qualitative assessment was conducted in February 2011 in three districts of Iringa region to inform the VMMC program implemented in Iringa Tanzania by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare with support from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program (MCHIP) (managed by Jhpiego) a USAID funded project. This formative work aimed to improve the understanding of the attitudes and beliefs of adult men and women that may enhance or hinder uptake of male circumcision (MC) in Iringa region and explore their people’s views on service delivery. (Excerpt)

Research paper thumbnail of Cultural and corporate belonging in the course of transnational biographies: A case study of a Sierra Leonean immigrant in Germany

Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung/Forum: …, 2009

How does cultural and corporate affiliation emerge in transnational biographies? How does it deve... more How does cultural and corporate affiliation emerge in transnational biographies? How does it develop under the influence of global and national power structures? These questions are addressed in this study that combines epistemological approaches dealing with the interplay of social and individual factors in identity formation with a structural analysis of historical power relations in form of racism and colonialism. Empirically this paper identifies how immigrants deal with challenges of integration into the host society and incorporate these experiences into their biographical self-construction. It concentrates on African and particularly Sierra Leonean immigrants in Germany. The findings are generated from a reconstructive analysis of selected biographical narrations which were scrutinized from different perspectives.

Research paper thumbnail of Man, what took you so long?" Social and individual factors affecting adult attendance at voluntary medical male circumcision services in Tanzania

Global Health: Science and Practice, 2013

In a study in Tanzania, men and women generally supported male circumcision; however, cultural va... more In a study in Tanzania, men and women generally supported male circumcision; however, cultural values that the procedure is most appropriate before adolescence, shame associated with being circumcised at an older age, and concerns about the post-surgical abstinence period have led to low uptake among older men.

Research paper thumbnail of Auf der Suche nach dem kulturellen Erbe von Iringa. Ein Gespräch über antikolonialen Widerstand, Museen und Tourismus mit Jan Küver

WerkstattGeschichte, 2018

This is an interview with Jan Küver project manager of Fahari Yetu based in Iringa/Tanzania. We t... more This is an interview with Jan Küver project manager of Fahari Yetu based in Iringa/Tanzania. We talked about the cultural heritage of the Iringa area in Central Tanzania, its colonial history, and the Iringa Boma Museum in Iringa City that is managed bei Fahari Yetu for the University of Iringa.