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Paper short abstract:

This paper discusses how sustainable forest management practices and proposals are penetrating local forms of organisation and how local actors in marginal areas are activating and organising themselves out of a growing concern and direct or indirect experience of natural disasters such as wildfires

Paper long abstract:

The degradation of ecosystems in the context of the climate crisis, where the frequency of natural disasters is increasing, 'restoring nature' and sustainable forest management are becoming emerging paradigms that take the form of new 'green' laws and funding, and show the increasing mixing of politics with the science of resilience and adaptation.

Catalonia is increasingly affected by forest fires of growing magnitude. The Vall de Lord case study allows us to observe how 'nature-based solutions' (or rather technology-science-nature), where forests are often seen as strategic green infrastructure, penetrate local forms of organisation through extreme events and science-based narratives of environmental crisis.

On the other hand, this tendency towards catastrophe can give rise to local processes of creating collective practices and memories where the way the forest was, is and can be is discussed anew, bringing together feelings of resignation as well as hope, responsibility and the right to give new life to an area that is endangered partly because it is forgotten and not experienced.

Thus, I discuss how, in an increasingly uncertain future, the transformation of the forest and its technification contribute to the patrimonialisation of nature, which leads to a greater emphasis on its intangible values and the prioritisation of strategic areas, resulting in an unequal distribution of rural development opportunities. On the other hand, I discuss how landowners and other local actors in marginal areas are activating and organising themselves out of a growing concern and direct or indirect experience of natural disasters.

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Paper short abstract:

This presentation seeks to redefine discussions on "one euro" towns, shifting from economic to socio-cultural nuances. Contrary to appearances, hidden challenges, slow-paced life, and factionalism impact daily life, enchanting and challenging both newcomers and long-term inhabitants alike.

Paper long abstract:

This presentation challenges prevailing discussions on "one euro" towns, shifting the focus from economic outmigration to the socio-cultural nuances/barriers to living and doing things in these unique communities. Drawing on four years of living in a depopulating hilltop town in Molise, Italy, our auto-ethnographic approach provides insights into the complexities of navigating social relationships, securing housing and acquiring property, dealing with administrative institutions, and negotiating the factionalism and “clientilistic neoliberalism” that shape everyday interactions. While at first sight the town appears harmonious, with shared traditions and local practices dominating social interactions, we delve into the hidden challenges faced by both locals and outsiders. Our findings reveal a slow, romanticized way of life, juxtaposed with logistical, political, bureaucratic, and cultural nuances that incentivize its depopulation and hinder its repopulation. We specifically emphasize the town's divided factions – deeply rooted in historical grievances, relationships, and loyalty demands – as creating constrictive social structures that impact daily life. Moreover, and contrary to the common perception of “empty towns”, we highlight complexities in attaining property, when prices and transactions are determined by relationships, factional ties, and imagined values rather than market forces. Presenting a multifaceted view of rural life, we contend that these towns offer a lens into how entrenched social structures, slow-paced lifestyles, and economic self-sufficiency continue to operate outside normative capitalocentric models. At the same time, we aim to reorient perceptions of "one euro" towns to intricate communities with rich socio-cultural landscapes that enchant and challenge both newcomers and long-term inhabitants alike.

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Paper short abstract:

The paper takes parenthood at the centre of analysis of migration aspirations. Based on 45 semi-structured interviews conducted in 2020, with Syrian and Afghan displaced people, living in Turkey, I argue that parental aspirations take over individual aspirations in forced migration contexts.

Paper long abstract:

While migration is studied as a household decision by geographers, sociologists, and economists, much of the literature on future aspirations and migration decision-making takes the individual as the level of analysis. Going beyond individual v. family dynamics, this paper takes parenthood at the centre of analysis. Based on 45 semi-structured interviews conducted in 2020, with Syrian and Afghan displaced people, living in Turkey, this paper argues that parental aspirations take over individual aspirations especially for those with small children. For some displaced parents, migrating onwards in the future is the only option to provide a good life to their children regardless of destination. However, others consider staying put in Turkey, a preferable option for the moral well-being of their families and their children despite the material hardship and discrimination they live through. They justify their, at time acquiescent, preference to stay put not only in relation to risks associated with border crossings but also with the difficulties of raising their children in a non-Muslim society. In responding to what drives parental aspirations, the paper sheds light on the importance of imaginations as well as the impact of positive and negative feedback from transnational connections on the formation of future aspirations. The paper contributes to flourishing research on aspirations by highlighting the importance of intangible and cultural factors. Findings implicate further questions on what is perceived as “good parenting” in contexts of displacement.

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Paper short abstract:

In Denmark, online dating has doubled in the past decade, reaching nearly 500,000 users in a population of 6 million. Online dating-studies emphasize mistrust and disillusionment. While my initial data supports these insights, it also indicates newfound optimism and endurance in the pursuit of love.

Paper long abstract:

In Denmark, online dating has doubled the past decade, reaching nearly 500,000 users in a population of 6 million and is now the second most used way to find a long-term partner. Thus, making it a central aspect of Danes' romantic lives.

Studies of online dating stress that users frequently reflect on partner preferences and scrutinize physical imperfections, contributing to a "rejection mindset" where users casually delete and 'ghost' each other (Konings et al., 2023; Pronk & Denissen, 2020). Many studies draw inspiration from Zygmunt Bauman's critical theory on liquid love, emphasizing the consequences of marketization, normalization of untrustworthiness, and disillusionment in dating life (Bandinelli & Gandini, 2022; Bauman, 2003; Davidson et al., 2020; Hobbs et al., 2017; Illouz, 2012, 2019; Portolan & McAlister, 2021). While these critical approaches are valuable for examining structural factors, my project contributes with a phenomenological analysis of how online dating experiences affect aspirations and dreams about love, based on results from the first six months of a one-year fieldwork.

My initial data supports the insights on disillusionment, but it also indicates a newfound optimism and an enduring determination to withstand the challenges of contemporary dating culture in the pursuit of love. This may be attributed to the growing popularity of the new dating app Hinge, which emphasizes long-term relationships while distancing from casual hook-ups. Therefore, my preliminary findings add nuance to the prevailing critical theories on dating culture.

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Paper short abstract:

Engaging with the selling of solar in Kenya, the relational forms emerging in this field as well as to questions of how solar infrastructures come to sit squarely within capitalist relations. I ask: how much can the anthropology of infrastructures attentively and legitimately ‘think together’?

Paper long abstract:

From the perspective of an ongoing research project concerned with the coming into being of solar off-grid infrastructures in Kenya, the paper reflects critically on the centrality of the ‘infrastructure lens’ for understanding how present-day infrastructure figures in efforts to stabilize capitalist formations. Solar companies have featured as key players in the ‘bottom of the pyramid’ terrain, committed towards delivering a social, environmental and economic good while at the same time creating consumer subjects and markets that go ‘far beyond solar’. Door-to-door solar sales agents are crafted into an emergent class of ‘development entrepreneurs’, instructed to conjure to the solar customers a future in which “previously unim¬aginable consumption becomes conceivable” (Dolan 2012: 7). The efforts of solar entrepreneurs in building renewable energy infrastructures become saturated with market-centered messages and logics. Solar customers, with limited access to formal financial services, come to buy products on pay-as-you-go mobile money loans – in turn being classified as ‘creditworthy’ or ‘non-creditworthy’ payers. All these point to infrastructures of data and scoring, and more generally to how digital, financial and business infrastructures are converging with the former. The paper suggests, drawing on this empirical example, that anthropology might currently be witnessing a splintering into different infrastructure approaches (as have partly been delineated by Buier 2023) and efforts to perhaps coalesce in ever more ‘subfields of the subfield’. Yet a more hopeful future for infrastructure studies appears to demand that they still be legitimately and attentively thought together without falling into the trap of open-ended assemblages.

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Paper short abstract:

Utilising ethnography to identify and dismantle barriers in SMEs, this study showcases a transformative approach for designing resilient future work practices.

Paper long abstract:

This paper introduces the 'HOME' Improvement approach as a dynamic embodiment of 'doing' and 'undoing' within the realm of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), presenting a novel method for SMEs to navigate their evolving work practices.

Doing: The initial phase involves a holistic organisational analysis — a deep dive into how work is currently 'done.' This phase represents the 'doing' of traditional practices, utilising ethnographic methods to understand existing operational models, work cultures, and employee dynamics within Southside Architecture.

Undoing: Following this, the approach transitions to an 'undoing' phase, where established practices are critically reassessed. Here, changes are collaboratively co-designed and prototyped, challenging and dismantling the status quo. This 'undoing' is critical, as it allows for the deconstruction of outdated practices, paving the way for innovation and transformation.

A New Doing: The final stage introduces a new form of 'doing,' where the co-designed changes are implemented. This phase prepares the organisation for future challenges by embedding new practices. It signifies a reconfiguration of work practices, transitioning from traditional methods to innovative, sustainable approaches.

The 'HOME' Improvement approach reflects a continuous cycle of 'doing,' 'undoing,' and 'redoing' in response to the shifting needs of SMEs. This paper advocates for the significance of this approach in the broader context of anthropology, demonstrating how the discipline can actively contribute to and shape the futures of organisations amidst global uncertainties. It exemplifies how anthropology can be both undone and redone to serve practical, impactful purposes in addressing modern societal challenges.

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Paper short abstract:

Examining digital health futures in Portugal, this presentation underscores the dual transformation of healthcare and anthropologists’ practices. It advocates for anticipatory methods to address societal challenges, prompting a reconsideration of anthropology's role in shaping sustainable futures.

Paper long abstract:

Traditionally, anthropological studies have primarily focused on cultural heritage, customs, and traditions, often neglecting the reciprocal influence between current actions and future aspirations. In scrutinizing the implementation of digital health initiatives in Portugal, I shift focus from unraveling healthcare practices to critiquing anthropology's methodologies. While healthcare agents must discard previous help-seeking notions, anthropologists, in contrast, substitute their conventional subject matter with a commitment to envisioning sustainable futures. This intricate process explores how the idealized "ought to be" molds the "being" within social practices, where anthropology holds significance and legitimacy. The analysis sheds light on speculative methods, facilitating hypothetical actions that challenge established norms in the present-making process. Both observed and observers undergo transformation through this journey.

Drawing from my direct involvement in social innovation projects related to digital health, I scrutinize entrenched anthropological practices and challenge the prevailing notion that innovation alone guarantees comprehensive sustainability. Exploring themes such as evolving practices, envisioning futures, and examining the convergence of the present and future, I advocate for narratives that transcend mere technological solutions to address societal challenges.

Ultimately, this presentation aims to fuel discussions on traditional paradigms in anthropology, encouraging a profound exploration of how anthropological analysis shapes the development of sustainable futures.

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Paper short abstract:

The author presents surprising findings from his recent research into the cryonics and radical anti-aging scenes and their efforts to become "amortal" (a proposed avoidance of inevitable death by aging) -- including reasons for their mainstreaming and their counterintuitive approach to kinship.

Paper long abstract:

Cryonics and anti-aging medicine represent two different paths to becoming “amortal” (where the inevitability of death by aging is eliminated, making deathlessness theoretically possible). Both the anti-aging and cryonics scenes have gained recent popularity and coverage in mass media, partly from interest from Silicon Valley figures and more broadly (I argue) from online cultures characterized by techno-optimism and techno-solutionism. As part of the Human Futures: Technoscientific Immortality project at the University of Bergen and Harvard University, this paper draws on ethnographic and survey data to reveal some counterintuitive findings about cryonics and anti-aging as roads to “amortality” that are biological, addressing questions such as: What is their relationship to developments in AI and other technological advances tending towards “transhumanism” or the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” (descriptions of increased merging of the digital and the biological)? What do they have to do with “mind-upload” scenarios? Why is growth in the anti-aging and cryonics scenes correlated with growth in movements like Rationalism, Effective Altruism, and Longtermism? And how are kinship and the family being imagined and reimagined by those involved in cryonics and anti-aging, as projects that seek to remake how human systems are reproduced?