The theme of the 11th AIBR International Conference of Anthropology is: Expectations and Uncertainties, a topic that is always controversial and generates intense debate.
We are living through uncertain times on many levels, times of uncertainty about what the future will bring. We are living in the midst of anxiety, which is generated by issues as diverse as politics, the economy, migration, climate change, social inequalities, access to work, the misallocation of natural resources, health, social change, the cult of the body, our short-term future, death, etc., all of which are sources of anxiety and confusion. But this is not something new, it is something inherent to our existence as human beings. Uncertainty has been with us for thousands of years, because the unpredictable has always been present in different societies, but despite everything we are still learning to accept this uncertainty as another element of our lives, a travelling companion that can make us reflect on the cause of confusion, doubt and, above all, our response to it.
We are faced with an enormous social complexity and a constant contradiction between expectations and the signals sent to us by a perceived, sometimes unfocused, reality that we do not understand or accept. Not knowing what is to come can lead us to social stress, conformity and therefore inaction, but it can also lead us to seek answers, to cooperate, to build the collective, to be creative, that is, to be expectant but not passive. There are many disciplines that have an impact on the positive effects of uncertainty on society: What is the contribution of anthropological research in this area? To what extent and in what ways does uncertainty affect us in our daily lives? What can we do as a society to minimise this impact? Is this uncertainty real, or is it based more on expectations or the perception of perceived threats than on anything defined?
We will work to provide answers to these and many other questions that will surely arise during the development of the panels and the rest of the proposals that will be presented at the 11th AIBR Conference.In this edition we have the invaluable collaboration of the School of Philosophy and Letters of the University of Cantabria (Santander) as co-organiser, and we will meet there on 1, 2, 3 and 4, July 2025. We are waiting for you with open arms to bring this 11th Conference to life.
See you at Santander 2025!
