Paper Short Abstract:

This study explores the unwriting and rewriting of collective memory for fallen firefighters on social media, through an interdisciplinary perspective, examining how online places of memory emerge and evolve in crisis contexts and sheds light on digital mourning and public memory in virtual spaces.

Paper Abstract:

The digital age has reshaped how collective memory and identity are constructed, particularly through online places of memory for fallen firefighters. This study examines how social media unwrites and rewrites narratives of heroism, loss, and remembrance by creating virtual spaces of memory that bridge personal mourning with collective identity. Using interdisciplinary frameworks from Hard Sciences, Folklore Studies, Ethnography, and Anthropology, this paper investigates the formation and preservation of these online memorials, considering the stakeholders and participants who contribute to this digital commemoration process. Focusing on case studies from Greek Facebook groups such as "Seasonal Firefighters" and "Greek Fire Service”, this research analyses posts, user comments, and commemorative photographs, with a commitment to maintaining participant anonymity. The study utilizes a combination of keyword search and discourse analysis to reveal underlying themes, exploring how social media functions as a space for managing collective memory, religious practices, and expressions of grief in times of crisis and natural disasters. This work also employs digital ethnographic methods to approach these memorials as e-folklore, investigating interaction patterns and emotional expressions that surface in these shared spaces. In this unwriting of traditional memorialization, social media facilitates an ongoing reconstruction of public memory, with users often sharing reflections on natural disasters and communal loss through comments, visuals, and posts. This study thus reveals the role of digital platforms in shaping a dynamic, collective identity within the context of virtual memorial spaces.

Paper Short Abstract:

Digital food cultures emerge on image-based platforms and social media, impacting users’ identity, daily habits and their relationship with food.

Paper Abstract:

In the context of imaged-based platforms and social media, food practices have been digitized and processes of food datification have been established. The constant access to food images and allegedly evidence-based information about diets has had an impact on “digital food cultures”, which are defined as the belief systems and practices around food, which impact the identity, knowledge, eating habits and the relationship of individuals with food. The visual potential of social media allows specific forms of communication and transmission of ideas in a faster, more diverse, engaging, all-times accessible, and visually appealing way. Eating with the eyes has never been as true.

Influencers on social media can share and shape these digital food cultures, mainly through processes of social identification and comparison, and with a particular aid from visual-supported content. As we have seen, the consequences are very real to the individuals exposed to this content, even when the simplification of complex nutritional and cultural information that helps the messages go viral is at the expense of accuracy. Therefore, the new forms of authority and knowledge spread are redefined based on video and image aesthetics; in the case of food, research shows that the engagement comes from modified images of dishes to look more appealing, huge and diverse quantities of food, and body goals showed on camera.

Paper Short Abstract:

We hear more and more today, especially in the spring season, about the ancestral food of our ancestors and the wisdom with which they used plants. Instagram and social media in general are the biggest promoters of this "ancestral food" idea.

Paper Abstract:

We hear more and more today, especially in the spring season, about the ancestral food of our ancestors and the wisdom with which they used plants. Instagram and social media in general are the biggest promoters of this "ancestral food" idea. Revealed by the rural way of eating, plants were brought into the daily diet and are called „forgotten herbs”. Information, both nutritional and recipes adapted to the current time, began to take over social media. But how true is it that our ancestors used these plants for exactly these purposes? Was the daily diet during the spring period really beneficial, compared to the level of work that the peasants had? In this communication we will discuss the most used spring plants, such as: nettle, wild garlic and sorrel. The research aims to rediscover and reaffirm the empirical knowledge and culinary recipes of the Codru ethnographic area from Satu Mare county, but he wants to make a connection with other ethnographic areas of Romania and of course, at the international level. Having the opportunity to become ethnographic documents, the recipes and knowledge transmitted through living speech or edited, they are a source about the everyday life of ethnographic groups but also of differentiation by social classes. This phenomenon of globalization takes the level of knowledge from the local level to the national and international level.

Paper Short Abstract:

The presentation examines the ways in which popular visual and oral adaptations of folk- and fairy tales in different media (e. g. storybook illustration, glass slide, slide film and animation film) have fundamentally shaped our knowledge of traditional tales in terms of narrative style, tale types and motifs since the late 19th century.

Paper Abstract:

Folk- and fairy tales essentially convey images, their narrators think in pictures rather than in words, which are transmitted orally in traditional communities. It is this characteristic that makes tales particularly suited to presenting their plots through visual representations. As Ágnes Kovács pointed out in the 1940s, when she introduced the outstanding Hungarian storytelling tradition of a village in the Kalotaszeg region (now: Ketesd/Tetișu, Transylvania, Romania): „A fairy tale is a series of letters only in transcription and in print, but in reality it is a chain of images. This series of images is alive in the Ketesd storyteller” (Kovács 1943: 52.). A few years later, Stith Thompson emphasised in another context that the „cinema, especially the animated cartoon, is perhaps the most successful of all mediums for the presentation of the fairy tale. Creatures of the folk imagination can be constructed with ease and given lifelike qualities.” (Thompson 1946: 461). It appears that contemporary urban mass culture, originating in the late 19th century, has developed its own traditions of oral and visual storytelling, spread through various forms of mass media. The presentation focuses on a specific visual technique and art form (the projected image) from a folkloristic point of view and examines a unique media genre, the slide film (also known as 'diafilm') which was extremely popular in the Soviet bloc in the second half of the 20th century and which brought many folk- and fairy tale adaptations to a wide audience.

Paper Short Abstract:

The paper seeks to share the experience of displaying the songs on public transport in Riga city during 2024. This campaign raised awareness of this fundamental Latvian cultural heritage and illuminated different aspects of folk song perception and knowledge of them in contemporary society.

Paper Abstract:

Folk songs are fundamental to Latvian culture, as illustrated by the widely recognized assertion that “every Latvian has his folk song,” i.e., approximately 1.5 million individual songs. Nonetheless, the practice of performing these songs experience a decline over time. Contemporary digital era, especially, expression in images and short-message texts, tend to challenge comprehension of folk songs as poetic texts of deeper-meaning. Consequently, there is a need for new communication strategies aimed at recreating society's interest and knowledge on folk songs. The paper seeks to share the experience of displaying Latvian folk songs on public transport in Riga, Latvia, and to analyze reactions this initiative elicited on social media platforms.

From March to December 2024, the texts of folk songs were displayed on screens of public transport in Riga city. Each week, three to four songs centered around a specific theme were featured, thus raising awareness and enhancing awareness of the rich thematic, linguistic, and poetic heritage. The campaign received particular attention in October when folk songs from the burial cycle were presented on screens. This event illuminated attitudes toward the commemoration of death in public space. More than 800 reactions were obtained, which indicates that folk songs continue to hold value for the Latvians; however, the prevailing interpretations often romanticize these songs, demonstrating a tendency to avoid more challenging subjects. A critical conclusion is that presenting the text apart from contextual information generates varied interpretative possibilities, even incorporating folk songs into conspiracy narratives.

Paper Short Abstract:

This study explores how Facebook reshapes travel planning, shifting from text-dominance to oral-visual cultures. Gender differences show women prioritize trust and media richness, while men value enjoyment and utility. This reflects digital platforms’ impact on knowledge creation and communication paradigms.

Paper Abstract:

This study examines how digital platforms like Facebook are transforming the way people plan and experience travel, emphasizing the shifting dynamics between writing, oral, and visual cultures. Using the framework of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Media Richness Theory, the research highlights gender-specific factors shaping the use of Facebook for travel-related activities, such as asking questions, sharing experiences, and responding to others’ posts.

Drawing on data from 347 valid respondents in Israeli Facebook travel groups, the study reveals significant differences in how men and women engage with the platform. Women are influenced by trust, media richness, and personal experience, while men are driven by perceived usefulness and enjoyment. This gendered use of Facebook underscores a broader cultural shift from text-dominant interactions to oral-visual communication that aligns with the “Unwriting Cultures” theme.

By exploring how these platforms reshape knowledge production and decision-making in the context of travel, the research highlights the diminishing centrality of written communication. Instead, rich, user-generated content—photos, videos, and interactive discussions—takes precedence, reconfiguring epistemic frameworks and power relations.

This study invites further inquiry into the role of social media in creating new "epistemic cultures" and challenges traditional text-based paradigms. It contributes to the broader discussion on how audiovisual platforms like Facebook disrupt, reshape, and reinvent the ways we consume, validate, and share knowledge in the digital age.

Paper Short Abstract:

Here we qualitatively analyze 300 TikTok videos and 10.000 comments in Spanish to interpret discourses, assessing the influence of eco-activists. From a media anthropology perspective, we examine the development of a campaign launched by the UN and TikTok appointing official "climate ambassadors" who produce content as eco-influencers.

Paper Abstract:

This article, as part of a wider EU consortium project on emotions and climate change (CIDAPE), qualitatively analyzes 300 TikTok videos and 10.000 comments in Spanish to interpret digital practices and discourses, as well as assess the influence of eco-activists. From a media anthropology perspective, we examine and interpret the development and success of a campaign launched by the UN and TikTok, consisting of appointing official "climate ambassadors" who produce content as eco-influencers on the platform.

Are these officially appointed creators seen as less legitimized than "self-made" eco-influencers? How do audiences, users, and citizens, who are the same people, react to them? By looking at textual debates around issues such as the Agenda 2030, conscious-consumption, meat-less diets, mobility, and recycling, we aim to better explain how people understand sustainability in their everyday lives and up to what extent their perceptions are impacted by digital content creators.

Paper Short Abstract:

This paper delves into the challenges of conducting ethnographic research on TikTok. It explores how the research posture often leaves anthropologists "out of place" and forces them to rethink their forms of communication beyond writing.

Paper Abstract:

Although TikTok has experienced significant growth in recent years, it remains one of the least studied social media platforms from an ethnographic perspective. Its rapid expansion, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, has reshaped the connection between physical spaces and social network usage. This transformation, fueled by TikTok’s influence, has converted private spaces into public communication platforms (Kennedy 2020). TikTok’s user base, primarily young people, profoundly impacts the content created, with trends like 'memification' often targeting the 'zoomers' (young adults), who engage with the platform without fully understanding the 'native perspective' (Zeng & Abidin 2021).

Based on ethnographic research into the self-representation of young migrants in Italy—referred to as the 'second generation'—this paper examines the role of physical spaces and time in social media ethnography. These aspects are critical in conducting Netnography, even without direct offline interaction with users and creators. The selection of time and space during ethnographic research influences the ethnographer's online presence and social interactions. Using TikTok "from the native point of view" (e.g., daily commutes on public transport) can create a mismatch between the ethnographer's status (age, gender, social position, etc.) and the fieldwork activities. This paper delves into the challenges of conducting ethnographic research on TikTok. It explores how this research posture often leaves anthropologists feeling "out of place" in their daily lives and forces them to rethink their forms of communication beyond writing.

Paper Short Abstract:

The 2024 Romanian elections were marked by a controversy surrounding the annulment of the presidential election's second round. This paper aims to explore how Romanian populist leaders used (and are using) a sensory arsenal of images, sounds and speech, co-opting TikTok as a space for the performance of authenticity, charisma and even what Nadia Urbinati (2019) very accurately called "me, the people", an image calculated to break the dualism between one and many.

Paper Abstract:

The November-December presidential and parliamentary elections in Romania were disrupted by the Constitutional Court's decision to annul the second round of the presidential election on the grounds that one candidate had not complied with the electoral code. In addition, Romania's telecoms regulator and other key institutions even called for TikTok to be banned after the presidential candidate backed by the Sovereignist Alliance emerged victorious. "He stayed under the radar" was the most common explanation among journalists and leaders of the main political parties. Taking this ” technological momentum” (Hughes 1994) as a starting point and using a methodology inspired by Postill's (2013) epidemiography, this paper aims to explore how political actors used (and are using) a sensory arsenal of images, sounds and speech, co-opting TikTok as a space for the performance of authenticity, charisma and even what Nadia Urbinati (2019) very accurately called "me, the people", an image calculated to break the dualism between one and many.

Paper Short Abstract:

Drawing from Hurley’s (2012) notion of affective digital placemaking, our presentation employs performative analysis and an abductive semiotic methodology to analyse the content posted by transnational Romanian seasonal workers on TikTok, examining the visual and auditory signs within the videos. We explore how these elements shape feelings of belonging and challenge social inequalities. In this context, TikTok plays a critical role in redefining the cultural identity of transnational seasonal workers, offering them a dynamic and politically charged digital space for solidarity and self-expression.

Paper Abstract:

The concept of affective digital placemaking (Hurley 2023) is pivotal to understanding how seasonal workers construct a symbolic “place” to perform experiences and emotions. This process transforms TikTok into a virtual space of solidarity (Szasz et al. 2023) and a form of neoliberal resilience to communicative capitalism and deterritorialization (Hurley 2023). In contrast to critics who view TikTok as a medium that distracts users from more meaningful experiences, Schellewald (2021) highlights parallels with earlier media forms like soap operas and magazines. These forms provided spaces for escapism during the pandemic, helping users manage anxiety and boredom in ways that remain deeply significant to their biographies. TikTok serves not only as a platform for entertainment but also as a tool for mobilizing workers solidarity. They use the app to assert and perform their cultural and professional identities. The platform facilitates information exchange and mutual support through gamified interactions, providing a performative political dimension to self-representation. Similar to previous Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), TikTok enhances the capacity to harness otherness and enables transnational socialization. In line with Nedelcu’s (2012) notion of “generating new ways of living together and acting transnationally in the digital era,” we apply performative analysis and abductive semiotic methodology in order to explore how TikTok’s visual and auditory elements shape feelings of belonging and challenge social inequalities. In this context, TikTok plays a critical role in redefining the cultural identity of transnational seasonal workers, offering them a dynamic and politically charged digital space for solidarity and self-expression.

Paper Short Abstract:

Bringing together digital humanities and anthropology, we explore how a small Latin-American-run publisher in Spain expands literature beyond the print book, using digital, audiovisual, and interactive media to diffuse stories of migration and foster relationships between cultural actors.

Paper Abstract:

The primacy of the print book, once the quintessential form associated with “literature” in popular imaginaries, is increasingly being supplanted by digital, audiovisual and interactive media, and publishers are adapting to these shifting patterns of cultural consumption. The “new” formats popular today harken back not only to older artistic forms such as oral and visual storytelling, but also to more primordial modes of sociality, in which cultural actors engage in more direct and dialogical relationships. Yet the current (post)digital reality is not a complete rupture from the textual but rather an expansion, with contemporary literary agents creating digital, audio, and visual materials alongside print books. Similarly, the online and offline communities to which these artistic forms give rise frequently overlap, with publishers, writers, and readers interacting through both digital media and in-person events. To elucidate these dynamics, this paper explores the work of a small publisher in Spain, run by Latin American migrants and dedicated to diffusing stories of migration. Insisting upon the interconnectedness of digital and non-digital spaces, media, and socialities, we bring together methodological tools from digital humanities and anthropology, combining analysis of the publisher’s online materials and interactions – including a podcast, webzine, blog, and social media – with more classic ethnography entailing participant observation and interviews. In so doing, we advocate an expanded notion of what literature is and what it can do, and illustrate how going beyond the print book opens possibilities for both new and old forms of cultural and social engagement.