Doing public anthropology in Turbulent Times

PROF. Paul Stoller (April 5, 2023)

Prof. Paul Stoller is a Professor of Anthropology at West Chester University, USA and a Permanent Fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences at Friedrich Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. In his more than 35 years of anthropological research and writing, Professor Stoller has conducted ethnographic research on Songhay religion in Niger and the life of West African street traders in New York City. And recently has a lovely blog post in Psychology Today on Aging in NYC on this very topic. Professor Stoller is the author of 15 books (including a new book with Cornell University Press entitled Wisdom from the Edge: Writing Ethnography in Turbulent Times). In his most recent work, Professor Stoller investigates how Indigenous wisdom can not only enhance social well-being but also help to heal a troubled world—a key element in his longstanding practice of public anthropology. He has received many awards for his work including a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Anthropology in Media Award, and the Anders Retzius Gold Medal in Anthropology. 

In this talk, Prof. Paul Stoller describes what anthropologists can do to contribute to the social and cultural changes that shape a social future of wellbeing and viability. He will show us how anthropologists can develop sensuously described ethnographic narratives to communicate powerfully their insights to a wide range of audiences. 

This recording is no longer available. Please contact fiona.mcdonald@ubc.ca if you have any questions.