The Emic - Anthropological stories from the field

18: Jason De León on having more in common with smugglers than he had ever imagined

Welcome to The Emic, the podcast where anthropologists share a moment from their fieldwork in which they truly took on an emic perspective – seeing the world from the poi

17: Tim Ingold on seeing like a reindeer

In the autumn of 1971,  when he just turned 23 years old, Tim was living in a tiny wooden cabin on the shores of lake Rautaperajärvi, in the far northeastern corner of Fi

16: Gego (Muhammad Ashry Sallatu) on diving into blue water & big fears

When Gego (that's what Muhammad is called by his friends) conducted his PhD-fieldwork in Indonesia, he entered multiple new worlds: the world of anthropology, a region wi

15: Giovanna Parmigiani on paganism, magical cards and sisterhood

In this episode, Giovanna talks about a moment in her fieldwork that she returns to often. A quiet moment shared with women that would become her sisters. A moment where

14: Willem van Schendel on embarrassing dinners

While conducting fieldwork in Bangladesh, renowned anthropologist and historian Willem van Schendel found himself at a dinner invitation. Initially a cozy evening, time s

13: Rahil Roodsaz on the unexpected dresscode of a religious gathering

When Rahil was invited by her Iranian interlocutors to a religious gathering for women, she dressed to the occasion - or so she thought. But then she learned something im

12: Roanne on the Inuit parenting advice that changed everything

In this episode of The Emic, Roanne shares her experiences as a young anthropologist conducting fieldwork in Greenland, where she lived among Inuit hunters and fishers wh

11: Klaus Hoeyer on data paradoxes

Sometimes, the places in which we live appear to be exotic, if we learn to look at them in a new way. Professor Klaus Hoeyer rediscovered his own country of residence, De

10: Beatrice Bonami on Invisible Technology and Birds in the Brazilian Amazon

When the Brazilian educator and anthropologist Beatrice Bonami traveled to the Amazon to study how Indigenous and local peoples perceived the future and technology, inclu

9: Tina Harris on What Pilots Do When Technology Fails, and Why Cows Matter in Aviation

Anthropologist Tina Harris studies aviation - flying - in countries like Nepal, where landing strips are short and the weather can change quickly from clear skies to dang

8: Danielle Braun about the scarf as a secret handshake

Danielle went to Iran to investigate the relationship between carpetmakers and their bias but learned something completely different: how to utilize the headscarf to give

7: Roanne on the immorality of waiting, or how technology impacts our morals

During fieldwork in hospitals, Roanne discovers that technology is not just impacting the way in which we experience time, but also the extent to which we find waiting to

6: Miguel Gómez Hernández on why designers are all wrong about elderly housing

Spanish design anthropologist Miguel Gómez Hernández went to Australia to investigate how industry experts envision the future designs of houses for the elderly. This fut

5: Ludo van der Gun on drinking water when the Gods are watching

How does one drink riverwater in a way that is sustainable? Not in the way a thirsty anthropologist, traveling on a steppe does. Hint: the right way involves a Mongolian

4: Danielle Braun on how a fight in the bar taught her why police don't snitch

Why don't police officers report each other to their managers, even in cases of misconduct or behavior that deserves to be reported? That was one of the research question

3: Roanne on how mountaineers taught her to never be overwhelmed again

In this episode, Roanne talks about her research among mountaineers and rock climbers. She struggled immensely with vertigo when trying to learn climbing, but these peopl

2: Oskar Verkaaik on what the real function of the interior of a mosque is

In this episode, anthropologist Oskar Verkaaik describes his research on the designs and interiors of mosques in the Netherlands. He shares how he aimed to understand why

The Emic - Anthropological lessons from the field

Want to learn more about Roannes' fieldwork, see her notes, photos or drawings from the field? Then subscibe to her monthly letters at www.anthropologyofthefuture.com/the

1: Roanne on how of the poorest citizens of the world taught her how to live a rich life

In this episode of the Emic, I share the lesson that was taught to me by one of the poorest people in the world. He helped me understand how I can live, and wholeheartedl