Editor’s Note

Welcome to Annthropologically Rooted!

Hello, welcome to Annthropologically Rooted, and happy World Anthropology Day! If you know me, then you know my name is Annika, and you might also know that I’m an anthropologist. For the newbies who might not know me, my name is pronounced “ANN-nick-uh” and I’ve been studying anthropology since high school, so that is how Annthropologically Rooted was born (get it? “ANN-thropology”). I’m launching my blog today in honor of World Anthropology Day, celebrated annually on the third Thursday in February. Today is meant to highlight the importance of studying anthropology, celebrate the field of anthropology, and increase awareness of anthropology’s contributions. So much of who I am and where I am today is rooted in my anthropological journey, and I can’t wait to share more with you over time!

I truly love anthropology, and for quite some time, I’ve been thinking about how I can share my love for anthropology with others. Being in school nonstop since literally kindergarten, I’ve also been thinking about how I can share my journey with others—the good, the bad, and the ugly! Aside from anthropology, I’m also passionate about mentorship, advocacy, and teaching. Throughout this blog, I plan to share pieces that encompass what it’s like to be a graduate student, an anthropologist, a researcher, and just a human navigating higher education and life. My hope is that I can share cool information and facts about anthropology and why it’s important, because I always tell myself if more people knew about anthropology then just maybe, our world could be a better place. I also hope that I can share information about my own journey, how I became interested in anthropology, and how I’ve gotten to where I am today as an academic. This is why Annthropologically Rooted exists; as I near the end of my academic journey (finally!) and think about my next steps, I want to share the knowledge and experiences I’ve gained and remind my readers that as I write and continue my journey, I’m still learning and navigating too.

I envision Annthropologically Rooted as a safe space and a shared space, so as my readers, I hope you interact and leave feedback to tell me what you like or dislike and what you might want to read more about. I invite you to enter this space viewing Annthropologically Rooted as a way of thinking and not just a place for reading. Each piece will have a comment section open for comments, questions, and dialogue. I also invite you to interact with me via email using the “Contact” feature on this website to share any feedback you might have. Annthropologically Rooted will also have a subscription feature for newsletters where you can sign up to receive updates when new pieces are published (I promise I won’t spam your inbox, and signing up is free). Annthropologically Rooted is also on social media, so please check out Instagram and Tik Tok to stay up to date on all things Annthro related (@annthropologicallyrooted on both platforms).

I’m committed to making this space an environment of learning and interaction because I value teaching, mentoring, and learning from others. Throughout your interaction with this space, you’ll learn about my values and positionality throughout the work I do as an anthropologist but also throughout my everyday life. Anthropology has taught me so much about life and diverse perspectives, and something I value is diversity and acceptance. Having different beliefs or values is okay, but when those differences turn into real life harm and suffering for others, that is not okay. Annthropologically Rooted is open to teaching and learning from all types of people with diverse beliefs and value, but hateful or harmful comments will not be tolerated. Please refrain from any negativity in public comment sections, but if you want to have open dialogue or debate with me personally, I do welcome direct/private emails through the “Contact” feature.

Now that you have a slight idea of what Annthropologically Rooted is, let’s get into the details! Like I said before, I’m learning as I write. I’ve never had a blog before and honestly, I’ve tried the influencer/content creator era and it’s not exactly me. I find it difficult to talk on camera or record real/raw stories to share on social media. Shout out to the people who can and are great at it, but me, I just feel so awkward when trying! So, that is why I decided to make this blog. Being in school forever has given me the gift of writing, and although I am no expert, writing comes easy to me. My goal is that over time this blog will grow, and when you think about me you’ll think about Annthropologically Rooted, not just as a blog but as a digital space and environment. In addition to writing blog pieces, I also plan to share digital graphics and downloads (but bear with me, I’m still practicing). I’ve recently gotten back in touch with my creative side and mixing that with my love for organization and stationary (a rather unhealthy love I might add) I want to share digital graphics, stickers, templates, guides, etc. that I use throughout my daily life to make navigating all my responsibilities a little bit more fun and easier. I’m still working on this aspect, so for now, I’d love to get your feedback and insight on things you might want to see or things that might be useful for your own life!

Anyway, because my life is so deeply rooted in academia, this blog layout mimics that of an academic journal. Each blog piece will be organized by Volume and Issue. I plan to publish four Volumes this year, each with its own organizing theme that orients readers to the overall message of the pieces in each Issue. Each Volume will have one to three Issues, and each Issue will have multiple items to read and interact with. This is Volume 1, Issue 1, which includes three pieces: this editor’s note, “What is Anthropology Anyway?”, and a beginner’s anthropology toolkit. You can expect Issue 2 in March, and it will include three pieces. Information about new Volumes and Issues will be shared via social media as well as via email for those who sign-up for the newsletter.

Now that we got the logistics out of the way, I again just want to say welcome and thank you for being here! Volume 1: New Beginnings is all about introducing and orienting readers to Annthropologically Rooted. Starting this blog is a new beginning for me, and being here to learn about anthropology and my journey is a new beginning for you! New beginnings are about emergence and stepping into new spaces, something we are both already doing. New beginnings are also about accessibility, extending an invitation, and forming new relationships, things that will become clear once you read the next piece, “What is Anthropology Anyway?”. New beginnings can also be about permission, which you’ll read about soon in Issue 2, permission to take up space, start new things, and care for yourself and others along the way.

As you read and engage with Annthropologically Rooted, remember that this is a space for thinking, feeling, and showing up rooted. I’m so happy you’re here and I’m so excited to share this journey with you!

With Gratitude,

Annika