Laurent Berger

orn in Paris, with a degree in psychology and ethnology, a degree from Langues'O and a doctorate in anthropology (EHESS, 2006), Laurent Berger was a postdoctoral researcher at the London School of Economics (Fyssen grant holder), then became head of research at the musée du quai Branly, before being elected holder of the “anthropology of capitalist globalization” chair at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales.

His work is based on a double ethnographic and historiographical work carried out in Mali and at the National Archives of Paris, then in Madagascar and at the Archives of Aix-en-Provence and Antananarivo. His first fieldwork focused on the dismantling of initiation societies following the Islamization of Bèlèdugu and on the concomitant emergence of jineton possession cults in the former village confederation having been at the origin of one of the greatest revolts anti-colonialism in West Africa. His second field focused on the organization and the precolonial, colonial and postcolonial transformations of the sacred Antankaraŋa royalty, today confronted with the political crisis of the Malagasy State, with the religious reformist Christian and Muslim movements,

His research aims in particular to describe and analyze the phenomena of globalization, on the scale of the islands of the western Indian Ocean, but also in a comparative way, over different historical periods and geographical areas.

Research topics

• Capitalism and globalization
• Global studies and global ethnography
• History of anthropology, epistemology of social sciences
• culture and cognition
• Kinship and sexuality
• Early state and sacred/divine kingships
• Ritual policies and religious traditions

Scientific responsibilities

• Member of the pedagogical council for the anthropology option (master's/doctorate) , EHESS
• Member of the scientific council of EHESS
• Member of the LAS laboratory council
• Member of the Board of the GENESIS Doctoral School , University of Antsiranana, Madagascar
• Member of the scientific council of LABEX Corail
• Member of the selection committee, Martine Aublet Foundation
• Member of the editorial board, magazine L'Homme
• Member of the editorial committee, “Ethnological” collection , Mimesis editions

University stays abroad

• Visiting Professor, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Anthropology Department, 2019
• Visiting Professor, Dōshisha University, Kyoto, School of Global Studies, 2015
• Visiting Professor, University of Buenos Aires, Center Franco-Argentino, 2013
• Visiting Fellow, London School of Economics, Anthropology Department, 2007
• Erasmus Lecturer, Universität Wien, Institut für Kultur und Socialanthropologie, 2005
• Associate researcher, University of Antananarivo, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 2001