Network’s raison d’être
The HOLB network originated in 2016 as response to the ever-increasing interest to extend ethnographic research beyond the human. This includes a renewed focus of anthropology and cognate disciplines in the manifold entanglements of humans with other life forms and organisms. Through paying close ethnographic attention to the possibilities and particularities of how humans and other living beings relate within ever-emergent environments, anthropologists in particular can make important contributions towards rethinking established approaches to the social and environmental challenges of our times.
Main goals
The founding convenors established the network to encourage lively ‘multispecies conversations’ among anthropologists across institutions and research traditions. The network then encouraged collaborations with natural scientists, reflected on the porous limits of ‘life’/’non-life’, and produced discussions on how organisms are categorised and perceived.
Building on these initial impulses, the next phase of the network will expand in 3 areas : 1) reflecting on the political implications of multi-species enquiries, to highlight their ethical complexities as well as their transformative political potential ; 2) in dialogue with creative approaches, finding methods for narrating more-than-human livelihoods; 3) encouraging interdisciplinary and infradisciplinary collaborations, with natural scientists as key interlocutors and with feminist and queer perspectives for the making of inclusive multi-species worlds. These constitute major analytical challenges for doing ethnography in an age of important concerns about environmental justice.
Network activity
It is our contention that these goals require diverse, creative, curious and collaborative research. The network is open to anthropologists in different career stages and welcomes a diversity of research orientations and interests. Besides arranging themed sessions at the biennial EASA conferences, the network organises network meetings in the non-biennial conference years, initiating joint publications, workshops, seminars, working groups and other collaborative events. The network also has a mailing list for the sharing and distribution of news and information amongst network members, as well as an online presence. Network membership is not limited to anthropologists but open to anyone with an interest in more-than-human anthropological perspectives (please note being an EASA member is encouraged but not necessary to become a member of the network).
Anyone interested in joining the network, or if you have any ideas or suggestions for events or any queries, please also do not hesitate to get in touch with us at: easaholbnetwork@gmail.com
You can also follow our updates on twitter: @HOLBnetwork
Current convenors:
Elena Stecca (elena.stecca@phd.unipd.it)
Amelia Veitch (amelia.veitch@ehess.fr)
Valentina Bonifacio (valentina.bonifacio@unive.it)
