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Paper short abstract

What does it mean for an anthropologist to become a public intellectual? What can be gained, and what can be lost in the process? Is it possible to reconcile the stance of a distanced researcher with that of an engaged citizen?

Paper long abstract

A discipline that has studied cultural diversity for more than 150 years is not the first choice of the media when they seek experts to comment on key issues concerning people and society. Journalists tend to turn to us mainly during the holiday season, asking for commentary on “old” or “strange” symbols and practices. Beyond that, media explanations of the world are usually provided by representatives of disciplines positioned higher in the academic hierarchy, such as law, political science, or sociology. What, then, is wrong with us? How can we make our discipline more attractive, engaging, and socially relevant?

My presentation will draw on personal experiences related to attempts to introduce anthropological knowledge into public debate in Poland. I will focus on two case studies: a popular, illustrated trilogy for young readers and the podcast Antropop, available on major streaming platforms. Their presence in the public sphere reveals a series of paradoxes: on the one hand, positive reviews; on the other, requests to avoid discussing gender issues during author meetings. On one side, emails expressing gratitude for addressing topics excluded from public debate; on the other, accusations of functioning as a political tool of a left-wing agenda.

What, consequently, does it mean for an anthropologist to become a public intellectual? What can be gained, and what can be lost in the process? Is it possible to reconcile the stance of a distanced researcher with that of an engaged citizen?