Stay curious video series
On the verge of life
STAY CURIOUS: What does it mean to be human? A prematurely born baby is considered "liminal" life. This means an existence on the border between life and death, person and non-person. How the border between life and death is defined is socially and culturally conditioned. It is not naturally generated but shaped through social practices. Hear about Mette Nordahl Svendsen's research.
Portrait of Professor Mette Nordahl Svendsen
STAY CURIOUS: Mette Nordahl Svendsen chose anthropology out of an interest in other worlds. With a mother, who was a priest, conversations revolving around the great existential questions were part of everyday life. She finds the best research to be that of an explorative nature, based on creative cooperation, and stemming from curiosity.
Talk
STAY CURIOUS: Medical anthropology examines how the human body relates to bigger societal issues, as well as ethical and existential reflections. A prematurely born infant in an incubator demands highly trained professional caregivers and intense care to live. The child is not a living person without society and the culture around it. Where are the borders between human, animal, life, and death?