Living in Unprecedented Times (Anthropology of Time Network)

It seems that we live in an era that is defined by the ever-growing number of ‘crises’ – ecological, political, military, social, and so on. The sheer complexity of multiple crises happening simultaneously all over the world has led many to feel – and to argue – that we live in unprecedented times. Something must be going terribly wrong, or the things that have gone wrong long ago are finally reaching their logical conclusion with catastrophic, irreversible changes.

This roundtable discussion will see four anthropologists working in different regions, from Scotland to Papua New Guiney, and on different topics, from international governance and activism to environmental change, talk about what their work has taught them about time, whether the present entanglement of events is unprecedented, and why it might feel this way. We will think together about personal experiences of time, collective anxieties, global issues and new creative avenues of action that might open when the present breaks away from the past.

The roundtable is open to anyone who is interested in a dialogue about the times that we live in. The speakers will provide short positioning statements and participate in a panel discussion before the floor is opened to the audience.

Speakers: Volha Biziukova (University of St Andrews), Andrew Whitehouse (University of Aberdeen), Livnat Konopny Decleve (University of Edinburgh), Nathan McAllister (University of St Andrews)

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