What is the AISSR Harvest Day?

The Harvest Day is the landmark event of the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, where social scientists and relevant organizations come together to discuss the ‘harvest’ of their research.

Have a look at our aftermovie to see what we do.

Global Social Science

The 2024 edition of the Harvest Day explored the promises and perils of global social science.

As social relations and problems span across national borders, how should social scientists adapt their frameworks and methods? How to take into consideration processes at the global level—such as climate change, the rise of authoritarianism, or international mobility—while accounting for contingencies, variations, and complexities?

Keynote lectures

Three keynote speakers discussed their research in light of these questions. Their lectures were followed by a conversation with an AISSR researcher: 

Joyeeta Gupta | Addressing Climate Injustices

The planet's health and humanity are at risk as the degradation of global natural systems worsens energy, food, and water insecurity, heightening the threat of disease, disaster, displacement, and conflict. What are the earth-system boundaries, translations, and transformations?

Aftertalk with Catherine Wong (Cultural Sociology)

Francio Guadeloupe | Ethnography without 'race'?

'Race' is ubiquitous, so the argument goes, and producing ethnographies undone of this social fact is becoming academically unthinkable. Francio Guadeloupe demonstrated how he seeks to circumvent race while putting racism front and center in the study of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Aftertalk with Ruth Carlitz (Political Science)

Ursula Daxecker | Political Identities in Conflict

Conflict is necessary in politics, but it can be productive or destructive. When and why do politicians and political parties invest in shaping political identities of mutual toleration? And when do they fail to do so? Finally, how we should study identities in conflict? Ursula will drew on work on conflict, violence, and identity from around the world to answer these questions and advocated for a social science that resonates with diverse audiences.

Aftertalk with Mieke Lopes Cardozo (Governance and Inclusive Development)

Book videos

In addition, the Harvest Day featured two rounds of book sessions, featuring videos with the author that take a global or comparative perspective.

Including  Tanja Ahlin on transnational care, Sarah Bracke on population replacement conspiracy theories, Jeroen Bruggeman on the history of humankind, Brian Burgoon on geopolitics, Hein de Haas on migration, and Marcel Hanegraaff on global advocacy.