Tom Bratrud and the THE diploma (by Maria Kartveit).
Tom Bratrud is the first recipient of the THE Prize. Bratrud combines a long-term fieldwork engagement in a small island community in the Pacific with research on contemporary Norwegian culture. In his research, the award recipient unites global and local perspectives and demonstrates how an anthropological approach and method become key to understanding ongoing change.
In his daily work, Tom Bratrud is an Associate Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Bergen. Bratrud has conducted anthropological fieldwork in Vanuatu in the Pacific and in Valdres, where he is from. A longer stay in Vanuatu in 2014 formed the basis for his PhD and later the monograph Fire on the Island: Fear, Hope and a Christian Revival in Vanuatu, in which Bratrud examines a Christian revival movement led by children. The 2022 monograph was published by an internationally recognized publisher and is included in curricula at universities around the world.
Climate change and migration, kinship in postcolonial land conflicts, rituals, and gossip are other topics that Bratrud has focused on. In Norway, Bratrud has studied the digitalization of rural Norway, the relationship between local communities and cabin owners, and outdoor recreation on social media as a form of identity work. Recent research articles document the breadth of his research interests, methodological innovation, and fruitful collaboration with colleagues. The award recipient is also an excellent communicator of academically grounded insights to a broad audience. Through radio and TV interviews and other media appearances, Bratrud demonstrates how anthropological knowledge and analytical approaches provide essential perspectives on topics such as mobile phone use on public transport, young people hunting, and challenges in relating to death in our part of the world.
It is with great pleasure that the award committee — Helge Jordheim, Amanda Hylland Spjeldnæs, and Kari Spjeldnæs — presents Tom Bratrud with the first THE Prize. As a former supervisor of Tom Bratrud, committee member Thorgeir Kolshus has recused himself from the selection of this year’s award recipient.
About the Thomas Hylland Eriksen Memorial Prize (THE Prize)
The Thomas Hylland Eriksen Memorial Prize highlights significant contributions to understanding people and societies in our time. In Hylland Eriksen’s spirit, the winner of the THE Prize works with research-based knowledge, often in interdisciplinary and global perspectives. Openness, curiosity, and a passion for communication are recurring hallmarks.
The recipient of the THE Prize does not necessarily have to meet all criteria simultaneously or document an extensive production. Rather, the prize is intended as support for innovative and original work in progress. The THE Prize amounts to NOK 50,000 and will be awarded annually for ten years starting in 2025.
The award committee is responsible for selecting an annual winner and consists of the director of the Centre for Global Sustainability, the head of the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Oslo, and two representatives from Hylland Eriksen’s family. The financial basis for the prize comes from the proceeds of Thomas Hylland Eriksen’s authorship.
