After the EASA conference, ruminations about my research agenda

We had a productive roundtable on AI with a full house. It was one of the few panels/roundtables on AI, and although most anthropologists keep their distance from emerging technologies, we might have had a good reception (I was told the STS conference in Amsterdam just before the EASA would satisfy me with lots of … Read more

R.I.P James C. Scott

Despite being a star academic, he was kind enough to return my emails when I was an MA student. His Weapons of the Weak was influential in political thinking, and his Seeing Like a State was a major source for me retreating from a particular radical politics. In my Rice years, my research focus changed, … Read more

A dear fellow blog in anthropology is 20 years old now and offers a thoughtful state of affairs!

Such feeling of nostalgia! antropologi.info is 20 years old – some (unfinished) notes and thoughts That’s how antropologi.info looked like in 2004 In June 2004, I bought the domain antropologi.info, and this website with blogs in English, German, and Norwegian soon became part of a steadily growing anthropology online community. Browsing through old posts, I get … Read more

Soon attending EASA 2024 conference in Barcelona

I will attend the massive biannual meeting of European anthropology. I am presenting in a panel related to anthropology and artificial intelligence, where I focus on the localization of AI. Surprisingly, I have never been to Barcelona, and I hope to explore it a bit. However, I am scared of the anti-tourism movement (!). ## … Read more

CFC for our Book Project: “Understanding Generative AI in a Cultural Context: Artificial Myths and Human Realities”

Dear Friends and Colleagues,  I have started a project with my graduate students that is becoming an edited volume. With an ethnographic sensibility, we are conducting research and collecting case studies on generative AI usage in different fields.  I would love to get scholarly contributions from those who read this message. Please feel free to … Read more

An anthropologist’s observations: “For the Love of Cats in Turkey”

For the Love of Cats in Turkey SAPIENS by Emily Sekine On a visit to feline-friendly Turkey, an anthropologist considers what long-standing practices of caring for cats reveal about human societies. ✽ While visiting eastern Turkey to climb Mount Ararat, I discovered a nice cafe called Ru Sahaf in the town of Doğubayazıt. I had arrived … Read more

“Anthropologists on Palestine”

Anthropologists on Palestine SAPIENS by Bridget Alex Amid the war on Gaza and long before, anthropologists have been speaking out against Israel’s occupation of Palestine. Here’s a curated list of their perspectives as scholars and activists. ✽ SAPIENS seeks to amplify anthropological insights to build a more just and sustainable world. In line with our vision, as a … Read more

Farewell to a major anthro blog: “anthro{dendum}”

I believe that the moment they changed their name from “Savage Minds” to “anthro{dendum}”, the decline started. Over-reliance on (political) correctness is a kind of (political) purism that never ends well. (I do not claim all contributors are like that; I actually like some of them very much). Life is rich, and anthropology is the … Read more

Open access Creator Culture & Digital Ethnography reading lists by @ZoeGlatt

Influencer Industries and Creator Culture reading list: https://t.co/Z8fbfmkojd Digital Ethnography reading list (resource of The Digital Ethnography Collective): https://t.co/ggTw5zeVaR Advocating for Archaeology’s New Purpose SAPIENS by Bridget Alex  Archaeologists can help communities retake what colonialism and racism tried to erase through a new goal of “archaeological reclamation.” The following individuals co-authored this essay: Lindsay M. Montgomery (University … Read more

#Anthropology roundup: “Bruno Latour, French philosopher and anthropologist, dies ages 75

Compared to many other influential contemporary figures in anthropology, I learned his works late, and I was never too tempted by his arguments. However, as my interest in the STS grew, his theories occupied a more significant role in my thinking. Rest in peace, dear Prof. Latour. Bruno Latour, French philosopher and anthropologist, dies ages … Read more

Glad to be part of this book project: “Routledge Companion to Media Anthropology”

I am moving to other research topics, but political trolling has been my long-term concern. In this edited volume, I had the opportunity to discuss the issue through more methodological and historical aspects. I am thankful to the editors for their patience with me. The book info can be found here, and I believe it … Read more

#Anthropology roundup: “Archaeology at the Borders of the Refugee Crisis

Archaeology at the Borders of the Refugee Crisis SAPIENS by Marlaina Martin Archaeological methods, which are typically used to study the past, can also illuminate the experiences of today’s displaced people. This article was originally published at Knowable Magazine and has been republished with Creative Commons. ✽ MILLIONS OF PEOPLE from the Global South have left their homes … Read more

#Anthropology roundup: “AI-powered archaeology draws out hidden evidence of fire use by early humans

AI-powered archaeology draws out hidden evidence of fire use by early humans University of Toronto Researchers from the University of Toronto, the Weizmann Institute of Science and Hebrew University have identified new evidence of the use of fire by ancient humans at least 800,000 years ago at a site in western Israel. The discovery, described in a … Read more

#Anthropology roundup: “The Politics of “Ukraine” Versus “the Ukraine”

  The Politics of “Ukraine” Versus “the Ukraine” – SAPIENS SAPIENS The Politics of “Ukraine” Versus “the Ukraine” – SAPIENS Impossible Choices at the Crossroads of Motherhood and Fieldwork SAPIENS by Jamie Hodgkins and Jessica Thompson   Co-author Jamie Hodgkins holds her daughter as she co-directs the excavations at the Arma Veirana site in northwestern Italy. Fabio Negrino/University of … Read more

R.I.P. Paul Farmer, Pioneer of Global Health #Anthropology roundup

Paul Farmer https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Paul_Farmer Paul Edward Farmer (October 26, 1959 – February 21, 2022) was an American medical anthropologist and physician. Farmer held an MD and PhD from Harvard … ‎Jeff Farmer (wrestler) · ‎Liberation theology · ‎John Comaroff · ‎Partners In Health Paul Farmer, Pioneer of Global Health, Dies at 62   Paul Farmer (1959–2022) Nature.com Paul Farmer (1959–2022) #MeToo Anthropology and the … Read more