Schedule

Friday, November 16, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM

#AnthropologyCon 2068, Wakanda University 50th Anniversary

Exhibition Hall, Booth 316

https://anthropologycon2068.wikia.com

2068 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Wakanda University. For this anniversary, #AnthropologyCon is hosting a space for collective reflection on the successes and challenges anthropology has had since 2018. It may be hard to remember now, but many of us were not particularly hopeful about the future at that time. Consider just a few of the problems of 2018 that we have overcome in the past 50 years:

  • Late-stage Capitalism
  • Climate crisis
  • Far-right nationalism
  • Police brutality
  • Systemic Racism
  • Income disparity
  • A not-yet decolonized discipline
  • Crisis in higher education

We still have work to do in some of these areas, but a recent survey found that for each of these points 91.7% of anthropologists agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “50 years ago, I would have found it difficult to imagine how much progress our species has made.” Consider, too, how much anthropological discourse has come to permeate our society, and how isolated from society our discourse was 50 years ago.

Come share your memories, insights, and reflections on the past fifty years by adding your memories to our timeline installation. Mark your field sites on our map, and tell us how they have changed since 2018. In celebration of the importance of play to anthropology over the last five decades, we’ll also be playing retro anthropology-oriented games that were featured at the 2018 #AnthropologyCon meeting.

Friday, November 16, 2:30 PM – 6:00 PM

Pop-up Games, Demos, and Playtests

Saturday, November 17, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Gamer’s Workshop: Anthropological Approaches to Game Design

In this workshop, we will engage gaming from a variety of perspectives, culminating in game design and play-testing. Game designers will introduce game design as a platform for the critique of power and the articulation of marginalized voices. Panelists will discuss and analyze how the narratives and mechanics of games convey meaning and engage players in a worldview. Since many popular games are based on colonial and Eurocentric premises, we will invite participants to reimagine, “hack”, and decolonize games. The workshop includes a creative, hands-on design lab (maker space), facilitated by an experienced game designer, where we will learn about the basic elements of game design. Workshop participants will develop games based on anthropological theory and method.

Note: Workshop registration required. For instructions on how to register for AAA workshops, click here.

Saturday, December 3, 7:00 PM – 12:00 AM

#AnthropologyCon After Party

Join experienced and novice game designers for an off-site gaming gathering. This public event is an exciting opportunity to play and beta-test/demo a suite of games developed during the Thursday workshop. No gaming experience necessary.