Dr Noorman spoke to The AlumNUS about his work and passions.
ACADEMIC INTERESTS
“Sociology and anthropology provided me with a toolkit to understand the world we live in. That curiosity in trying to engage critically and compassionately with issues pushed me into research and teaching.”
SENSES & SOCIETY
“I’ve been involved in Senses and Society, a thematic group of the International Sociological Association, for over 10 years. We bring together like-minded academics to discuss how our understanding of society is shaped by and through our senses. For instance, how do sight, sound and smell influence our perception of the world, our identities and our interactions?”
JOY IN THE WORK
“Research is, of course, very illuminating and I find a lot of meaning in it. But being able to translate that research into teaching — and seeing my students grapple with and engage ideas — is incredibly gratifying.”
ADAPTING TO CHANGE
“The world is now more uncertain and volatile; the University has undertaken significant curricular changes as a result, as well as increased its emphasis on student wellness and other issues. But at the same time, our core values have remained, including our desire to shape students who are compassionate and critical thinkers.”
ALUMNI CONNECTIONS
“As an FASS alumnus, I find the work we do in alumni relations both gratifying and meaningful. FASS is admittedly a large and diverse faculty…harnessing and engaging a cohesive network between recent alumni and those who are well-established in their respective fields is important.”
OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
“I am curious about the world that we live in, and love to travel and explore new experiences. In some ways, it’s tied very closely to my discipline and research; when I do fieldwork overseas, it gives me a lens for understanding different cultures and contexts.”
CLASS NOTES
Course Name: GEH1062/GEC1024 GHOSTS AND SPIRITS IN SOCIETY AND CULTURE
Synopsis: “Why, in a modern, industrialised society, are so many people still interested in the supernatural?” asks Dr Noorman Abdullah. His General Education course introduces students to the scholarly study of ghosts, spirits and other supernatural entities, demonstrating how corresponding beliefs and practices provide a lens to the various social, political and cultural contexts in which they are situated.
For instance, the depiction of a ghost as a dead person is largely reflective of Eurocentric beliefs towards death and the afterlife. “But the category of the supernatural itself is more wide-ranging, and certain societies will make distinctions between different kinds of ghosts and spirits through terms like hantu, jinn, poltergeists, phantoms, wraiths, and so on.”
A fundamental objective of the class is to therefore recognise the ubiquity of supernatural beliefs across cultures, while appreciating and explaining their differences and diversity.
Recommended Viewing: Alongside academic readings, students use ethnographic films and pop culture to explore how representations of the supernatural reflect societal, gender, ethnic and class dynamics. This includes 1970s horror classics like The Exorcist and Carrie, as well as more modern and locally based films such as Revenge of the Pontianak.
