Anouk de Koning delivers her inaugural lecture on the ‘Intimate State’

De Koning demonstrated how this intimate state not only fosters new forms of closeness and cooperation but also blurs the boundaries between state and society, paid work and volunteerism—thereby creating new inequalities and tensions. She advocated for a “critical anthropology with the state,” in which researchers, policymakers, and practitioners jointly reflect on both the ideals and the darker sides of social policy practices.

Read the full lecture or watch the inaugural speech.