We warmly invite you to the book talk by anthropologist Dan Podjed, on Monday, August 26 at 14.00 at Porthania, P114, Urbarium (Yliopistonkatu 3, 1st floor, right behind the janitor’s office). The talk is based on Podjed’s latest book project, Crisolation, that has gained significant acclaim in his home country Slovenia, resonating with both academic and general audiences. Podjed works in a Reimagining Public Values in Algorithmic Futures project lead by Professor Minna Ruckenstein (University of Helsinki).

Ethnography between Science and Fiction: The Case of Crisolation

Anthropologists and social scientists frequently face the challenge of presenting their field findings effectively. Questions about truthfulness, anonymization of informants, and the incorporation of fiction and speculation into ethnographic texts are central to this process. Dan Podjed’s talk will delve into these issues, drawing from his current book project, Crisolation. This project includes two volumes: a scientific monograph on the emergence of a condition termed “crisolation,” where ongoing crises intersect with various forms of isolation, and a dystopian novel portraying a group of individuals living in a multi-apartment building, isolated and facing screens. Podjed will discuss how this “science fiction” hybrid approach can provide fresh perspectives on reality and new possibilities for ethnographers in writing and presenting their findings.

Dan Podjed

Dan Podjed, PhD, is a Senior Research Fellow at the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, an Associate Professor at the University of Ljubljana, and a Field Expert at the Institute for Innovation and Development at the University of Ljubljana. He is the founder and Executive Advisor of the EASA Applied Anthropology Network and initiated the international event “Why the World Needs Anthropologists.” Podjed’s research focuses on isolation, human-technology interactions, sustainable lifestyles, and the epistemology of everyday life. His latest book project, Crisolation, has gained significant acclaim in Slovenia, resonating with both academic and general audiences.