Kasper Tang Vangkilde

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My primary research interests are within business, organizational, and design anthropology. In particular, I am driven by two closely related ambitions: on the one hand, to create new theoretical understandings of social and cultural aspects of human life in corporations and organizations and, on the other, to enhance the value of anthropological practice in society and business.

In addition, I am Head of Studies for the BSc and MSc in Anthropology and the Master in Health Anthropology. See more here: Educations in Anthropology

I am also Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Business Anthropology. See more here: Journal of Business Anthropology And follow the journal on LinkedIn: JBA - LinkedIn profile

Current research

Currently, I am particularly engaged in the following:

1. I am Principal Investigator of the research project "RE-ANIMATE: Designs for Life-Enhancing Economies in Anthropological Perspective", funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark. In this project, we aim to trace and analyze how new design visions for more life-enhancing economies are enacted, challenged, reworked, or obfuscated in the effort to reform or replace dominant capitalist understandings and activities. Read more about the project here: RE-ANIMATE
2. As part of RE-ANIMATE, I am conducting ethnographic fieldwork in a global network of leaders and leadership thinkers who strive to generate more life-enhancing and sustainable economic practices, not least by way of regenerative leadership and circular design.

Primary fields of research

Broadly speaking, my newest research interest concerns different forms of what may be called "life-enhancing design"; that is, attempts to design new practices and modes of living that are conducive to human and non-human life. This relates not least to the issue of how sustainability and responsibility become integrated – or not – into private and public organizations and business activities.

Previously, I have conducted research on creativity, branding, design, fashion, social innovation, future-making, organization, and anthropological work in private companies. Among other things, I have been Head of the Graduate School of Social Sciences, Head of AnthroAnalysis (2020-2022), co-editor of the anthology Design Anthropological Futures (2016), coordinator of the track in "Innovation, Organization, and Work" on the MSc in Anthropology at Aarhus University, and carried out long-term fieldwork in an international fashion company.

Selected publications

1. Published

   The Hygienic Problem of Social Innovation Work: Reversibility and Oscillations Between “the Social” and “the Economic”

   Mikkelsen, N. S. & Vangkilde, Kasper Tang, 2021, In: Anthropology of Work Review. 42, 1, p. 47-56

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

2. Published

   The Business of Inspiration: A Magical Technology of Prefiguration

   Vangkilde, Kasper Tang, 2018, Magical Capitalism. Enchantment, Spells, and Occult Practices in Contemporary Economies. Moeran, B. & Malefyt, T. D. W. (eds.). Palgrave Macmillan, p. 191-213

   Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Book chapter › Research › peer-review

3. Published

   Creativity versus branding: totemism, animism and the pursuit of uniqueness in fashion

   Vangkilde, Kasper Tang, 2017, In: Journal of Cultural Economy. 10, 2, p. 178-190

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

4. Published

   Design Anthropological Futures

   Smith, R. C., Vangkilde, Kasper Tang, Kjærsgaard, M. G., Otto, T., Halse, J. & Binder, T., 2016, Bloomsbury Academic.

   Research output: Book/Report › Anthology › Research › peer-review

5. Published

   Possessed by the Zeitgeist: Inspiration and Prophecy in the Business of Fashion

   Vangkilde, Kasper Tang, 2015, In: Journal of Business Anthropology. 4, 2, p. 178-200

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review