These thematic sessions include presentations in two formats: Papers and PechaKucha. Our independent Program Committees invited proposals through an open Call for Participation in January–April, and carried out a competitive, anonymous review process to select these presentations.

What Are Papers and PechaKucha?

Papers are substantial articles and presentations that explore and synthesize theoretical and methodological developments or critical issues of the day. They link new insights and ongoing debates to advance ethnography and the value of our work.

PechaKucha (pronounced: “peh-cha-ku-cha”) presentations are performances of 20 images shown for 20 seconds each. They are a visual and reflective format for sharing unique insights, perspectives, juxtapositions, and provocations about ethnographic work.

Sessions

These sessions are part of the Main Program in Amsterdam, and will be livestreamed for virtual attendees. Find the schedule for your region here.

Talking Resilience: The Transformative Power of Shared Narratives
Monday 10 October, 11:00am – 12:30pm CEST

Curators: Letizia Nardi, InProcess and Gigi Taylor, Indeed
The contributions in this session highlight the power of collaborative, dialectic narratives in unpacking resilience. Through humor, storytelling, visualization, and linguistic craft, these contributions offer insight into various lenses that we can use as ethnographers to examine the work we do and the footprint it leaves on others and ourselves.

Cultivating Resiliency for All: The Necessity of Trauma-Informed Research Practices (Paper)
Matthew Bernius, Code for America
Rachael Dietkus, Social Workers Who Design

Mapping the Messy: Storytelling-as-Resilience, Reframing, Academia-as-Fieldsite (PechaKucha)
Lisa Koeman, Elsevier

Laughing All the Way to EPIC (PechaKucha)
Evan Hanover, Conifer Research

Adaptive Tools for Resilient Futures
Monday 10 October, 11:00am – 12:30pm CEST

Curators: Liubava Shatokhina, Gemic and Frank Romagosa, CloudSort
Resilience requires us to go past established processes, tools, and frameworks as our guides. These presenters shift our perspective on the theories that guide our work, renew our attention to what we know about positionality, reflexivity, place and practice, and even consider ways in which our practices are performative acts. These presentations session share a commitment to ensuring that the techniques we build and employ are flexible and adaptive to dramatic change.

Theory Instruments as Tangible Ways of Knowing (Paper)
Jessica Sorenson, University of Southern Denmark
Mette Gislev Kjærsgaard, University of Southern Denmark
Jacob Buur, University of Southern Denmark
Mary Karyda, University of Southern Denmark
Ayşe Özge Ağça, University of Southern Denmark

Beyond Zoom Fatigue (Paper)
John Sherry, Intel

Ethnography as a Feedback Loop: Designing Complex, Automated Systems (Paper)
Kelsie Nabben, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Michael Zargham, Vienna University of Economics & Business

Resilient Credit (PechaKucha)
Rachel Aalders, Australian National University

Show Must Go On: How Can Ballet Help Us Strengthen Ethnographic Practice? (PechaKucha)
Almina Karya Odabasi, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Creating More Resilient Futures
Monday 10 October, 2:00pm – 3:30pm CEST

Curators: Hilja Aunela, Noren and Rogério Lourenço, Cross Project Resources
These presentations address resilience in method and practice, when confronted with uncertain and adverse situations. When and how does agency, self-awareness, creativity and the imagination become fundamental to the work we do? How do we make the very methods we use resilient when our subjects are uncertain? What stake do these approaches have in making futures for our subjects and for our very practice?

Rehearsing Imagined Futures: Creative Performance as a Resilient Process Among Refugees (Paper)
Nicole Aleong, University of Amsterdam

Building Resilient Futures in the Everyday: Virtual Worlds and the Social Resilience of Teens During COVID-19 (Paper)
Julian Gopffarth, Stripe Partners
Rebecca Jablonsky, Google
Cath Richardson, Stripe Partners

Beneath the Hype: Self-Ethnography to Explore the Human Possibilities within NFT Technology (PechaKucha)
Jake Silva, Meta

Becoming Digitally Resilient: Understanding the Gap between Online Government Services and Low Ability Users (PechaKucha)
Yoni Lefevre, STBY bv
Dorota Gazy, STBY bv

Navigating Matters Charged with Controversy (PechaKucha)
Stefani Bachetti, Motorola Solutions

Critical Perspectives on Embracing Resilience
Zuilenzaal – Tuesday 11 October, 11:00am – 12:30pm CEST

Curators: Selene Camargo-Correa, A Piece of Pie and Smriti Kaul, Convo
This session critically evaluates conventional ideas and practices resilience to reveal paradoxes and pitfalls. These presentations will show how resilience can be either a toll or an opportunity to create systems of reciprocal care. Presenters also provide tools and fresh ideas to reframe the concept of resilience in turbulent times.

Jobs Not to be Done: Anti-Work Politics and the Resilience of Mutual Aid (Paper)
Todd Carmody, Gemic

Against Resiliency: An Ethnographic Manifesto (Paper)
Lauren Rhodes, Cisco
Jillian Powers, Cognizant Technologies

Beyond Representation: Using Infrastructure Studies to Reframe Ethnographic Agendas and Outcomes (Paper)
Karl Mendonca, Google

Resisting Resilience: An Anthropologist’s Paradox (PechaKucha)
Nadya Pohran, University of Cambridge

Social Resilience (PechaKucha)
Jenny Rabodzeenko, Allstate
Kelly Costello, Women Initiating New Directions

Resilience: Lessons from a Period of Disruption (PechaKucha)
Traci Thomas, BCG Platinion

Resilience in Acute Contexts
Tuesday 11 October, 2:00pm – 3:30pm CEST

Curators: Nimmi Rangaswamy, IIIT Hyderabad and Tiffany Tivasuradej, CBRE
How can researchers and ethnographers stay resilient in times of crisis? This session will explore specific contexts of crises and catastrophes, in addition to caregiving moments where resilience is vital. Presentations approach resilience as a theoretical and ethnographically driven analytical process, illustrating in-context perceptions, survival strategies, modes of adaptation, and lessons for renewed resilience practices.

The Giving Caregivers: Resilience as a Double-Edged Sword in the Context of Healthcare (Paper)
Juliana Saldarriaga, A Piece of Pie

Amplifying Resilient Communities: Identifying Resilient Community Practices to Better Inform Health System Design (Paper)
Romit Raj, Quicksand Design Studio
Babitha George, Quicksand Design Studio
Cristin Marona, Matchboxology
Rebecca West, Ipsos
Annabel Gomez, Independent Technical Advisor
Tracy Pilar Johnson, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Aditya Prakash, Quicksand Design Studio
Sunny Sharma, Ipsos
Ayushi Biyani, Quicksand Design Studio
Mrittika Barua, James P Grant School of Public health, BRAC University
Cal Bruns, Matchboxology

With the Phone in the Field: Making the Ethnographic Toolbox Resilient to Change (PechaKucha)
Signe Helbo Gregers Sørensen, Alexandra Institute

The Myth of The Pipeline Problem: Creating a Diverse and Thriving Team (PechaKucha)
Kristin Zibell, AnswerLab
Shakima Jackson-Martinez, AnswerLab