Future Anthropologies Network (FAN)

Intention
Future Anthropologies Network (FAN) is being established as an outcome of the work of the Anthropology at the Edge of the Future Lab held at the 2014 EASA conference. The intention of the group is to continue our shared work in conceptualizing, debating, theorizing and practicing an engaged anthropology that puts futures at the centre of its agenda. One of the key outcomes of our lab was to produce a manifesto, which captured and synthesised the feeling that we collectively took away from the lab. This document will form the basis of our work, and the point from which we will develop as a network.

Objectives

• To create and advance a responsible and engaged anthropological approach to futures, through scholarship, research and practice.
• To establish anthropology as a discipline that is a key participant in contemporary debates and practical developments in discussing and making futures
• To enable early career scholars to see anthropological future-making as a possible career route

Possible Activities

• Producing edited volumes and other publications
• Future meetings in the years between the EASA conferences and as part of EASA conferences as panels and labs.
• Developing funding applications

Management structure
The network will be managed on a rotating structure with the roles and responsibilities of its management committee changing every 2 years (handover at the EASA conference). The network will be led by a core group including

• Network Director(s) Debora Lanzeni and Karen Walthrop: to take responsibility for leading the Network’s policy and activities, represent the network to the EASA and other external bodies, and maintain an overview over all activities Membership officer: to maintain the membership list, receive applications for membership, send out communications to the membership on behalf of the core group
• Documentation officer: to document the projects, activities and events of the network, using writing, photography and video and post these online
• External communications officer(s) (Lydia Nicholas): to work with the other members of the core group to ensure that social media and other online possibilities are used effectively to promote the work of the network