Anthropology of the Metaverse: Hype, Hope, and Hybrid Reality
As tech giants invest billions, we critically examine the social, cultural, and economic implications of envisioned persistent, interconnected virtual worlds.
The Future of Food: Digital Platforms, Supply Chains, and Eating Cultures
From meal-kit algorithms to social media food trends, digital technology is transforming how we produce, distribute, and experience food.
Digital Death: Mourning, Legacy, and Identity in Online Spaces
What happens to our digital selves when we die? We study emerging practices of digital mourning, memorialization, and posthumous identity management.
Building Open-Source Tools for Collaborative Cross-Cultural Research
To avoid reliance on proprietary platforms, we develop and share free software for data collection, analysis, and visualization tailored to anthropological needs.
Sensory Ethnography in Virtual and Augmented Reality Environments
How do we study embodied experience in digital spaces? We pioneer methods for understanding perception, presence, and the senses in VR and AR contexts.
Mapping Digital Divides: Access, Literacy, and Power in a Networked World
The digital divide is not just about hardware, but skills, representation, and agency. Our research examines the multi-layered inequalities of digital participation.
The Anthropology of Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain-Based Societies
Beyond finance, blockchain technology enables new forms of governance, community, and value. We study the social life of decentralized networks and smart contracts.
Digital Storytelling as a Method for Collaborative Ethnographic Output
Moving beyond the monograph, we explore interactive documentaries, multimedia websites, and immersive narratives as forms of anthropological knowledge dissemination.
The Rise of Algorithmic Culture and Its Impact on Social Norms
Recommendation engines, content moderation, and predictive analytics actively shape taste, behavior, and belief. We analyze this new form of cultural governance.
Decolonizing Data: Rethinking Ownership in Anthropological Archives
Historical anthropological archives are often built on colonial extraction. We examine initiatives to return control, context, and narrative authority to source communities.
Preserving Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Digital Age
From dying languages to ephemeral digital art forms, cultural heritage faces new threats and opportunities. We document strategies for sustainable digital preservation.
Virtual Worlds as Legitimate Fieldsites for Cultural Study
From MMORPGs to social VR platforms, persistent online spaces develop unique cultures. We argue for their seriousness as fieldsites for anthropological research.
How Artificial Intelligence is Reshaping Ethnographic Fieldwork and Analysis
From pattern detection in vast text corpora to simulating cultural scenarios, AI offers powerful new lenses. We explore its transformative potential and inherent pitfalls.
Navigating the Ethics of Digital Research in Global Communities
As digital tools permeate all aspects of life, researchers face novel ethical dilemmas. This post outlines our institute's framework for responsible digital ethnographic practice.
Future Directions: Speculative Methods and Anticipatory Anthropology for Emerging Tech
We develop speculative methods to study technologies before they are widespread. Using design fiction and scenario planning, we anticipate the cultural impacts of AI, bio-tech, and VR.