Through the lens: Seeing the people behind data

How photography shifts the ethnographic gaze: from the researcher’s lens to a collaborative one.

As summer approaches, we’re wrapping up with a few final recommendations — reads, reflections, and resources that stuck with us this season:‍ Sune revisits Anne Lamott’s essay on blossoming in difficult times. Mary shares Studio Playground, a magazine celebrating creative processes. Harmen recommends a book by anthropologist and runner Michael Crawley. Lea turns to It’s Nice That, a source for articles, ideas, and inspiration from across the creative industries.

At IIAB, we rarely leave Folkemødet with one tidy story. Instead, we return with fragments - conversations, contradictions, and insights pulling in different directions. Not fixed answers, but initial patterns, starting points for discussion, stance, and action in the worlds we navigate as anthropological consultants.This year, four birds went, saw, listened, and took notes. Upon review, the patterns reveal a focus on democratic participation and sustainability, green, social, and cultural, as well as civil readiness.

The administrative burden and meta-labour have become an invisible crisis within health systems around the world. People aren’t just patients anymore; to get their needs met, they’re becoming full-time care coordinators.

We’re back with a fresh round of monthly recommendations - this time, it’s our current favourite songs to inspire your May soundtrack. What track have you been playing on repeat lately?

Spring is here, and we go out! From the IIAB team, here are a few recommendations on exhibitions and museums in Copenhagen and beyond.

Great minds think alike. Or, great minds think differently, complement each other really well, and make a great Co-CEO team. We asked our Co-CEOs, Louise and Sune, to share their favourite podcasts, and their choices reveal their own variety as well. Louise’s picks dive into creativity, emotions, and the nuances of human experience, while Sune’s favourites break down structures of historical and current affairs. Two different ways to go about it. And now, you get the best of both—time to hit play.

In need of new book ideas? This time, our four book picks all feature female protagonists in very different settings: from France and Slovenia to China back to Denmark. Each of these stories offers an intimate window into deeply personal yet universally resonant experiences, challenging the way we see the world. They are stories of freedom, resilience, and the pursuit of joy.

Winter months can be tough… Phew, when was the last time you felt the warmth of sunshine on your face? And how much time do we lose each day layering up just to step outside? But that’s old news. A new year calls for new movies and series to dive into, right?

Activists targeting iconic sites like Stonehenge sparks a heated debate on democracy and societal values. What is deemed sacred in our society, and what should remain untouched?

Busy schedules can make us lose sight of our goals. By slowing down, we can innovate by seeing what's already there in new ways. What track are you on, and where is it heading?

Acknowledging the limitations of our own perspective, even in our senior, privileged roles, is the starting point for building an inclusive culture. Which perspectives have my privileges shut out of my sight?