Short Abstract

This panel celebrates Thomas Hylland Eriksen’s impact on anthropology through dynamic dialogue. It invites contributions on nationalism, multiculturalism, climate change, digital anthropology, and theory comparisons to extend and innovate his legacy.

Long Abstract

This panel critically examines the profound contributions of Thomas Hylland Eriksen, which have shaped understandings of identity, globalization, intercultural communication, and public intellectualism across multiple disciplines. Revisiting and expanding Eriksen’s ideas is crucial for redefining anthropologists’ roles in understanding and engaging with these transformations. Focusing on Eriksen's contributions, this panel seeks to:

• highlight the continuing relevance of his ideas in understanding complex social phenomena;

• encourage innovative applications of his theoretical frameworks to understand emerging social challenges;

• to focus on the effects of an overheating society, such as the varying speeds at which things change or the multiple temporalities of overheating;

• explore the intersections between Eriksen's work and other contemporary anthropological approaches;

• foster a new generation of scholarship that builds upon and extends Eriksen's intellectual legacy.

We invite submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

1. applications and extensions of Eriksen's frameworks in analysing cultural complexities, nationalism, ethnicity, identity formation and social and cultural effects of globalization.

2. The relevance of Eriksen's ideas to contemporary social and political challenges, such as:

• migration and multiculturalism in an era of increasing mobility

• overheating, social acceleration and its impact on identity formation

• climate change, loss of biodiversity, the inalienable and environmental anthropology

• digital anthropology and the transformation of social relations in the information age

3. Comparative analyses of Eriksen's work with other influential anthropological theories and approaches.

4. The impact of Eriksen's public anthropology and new ways to be engaged anthropologists.

5. Future directions for anthropological research inspired by Eriksen's intellectual legacy.

We strongly encourage scholars from diverse disciplines who have engaged with Eriksen's work or who wish to explore its implications to submit their abstract proposals. This panel provides a dynamic forum to explore and advance Eriksen’s scholarly legacy.

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