iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

WORK-IT @workit-hki.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Two of our RAs have now been part of the team for 6 months. They're writing a reflection on their experience so far and want to hear from you: what would you like to know about their work? Drop your questions below! @erc.europa.eu #ERCAdG #workit #workingthoughts #universityofhelsinki #research

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WORK-IT @workit-hki.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Our colleagues at the University of Exeter are facing distressing times: 500 academic staff members are at risk of compulsory redundancy in September, including all Theology & Religion staff. Of 153 proposed cuts, 114 are in Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences. We have included ways to help below.

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WORK-IT @workit-hki.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

📚 Our colleague Dr Mitchka Shahryari has published a new article in the Journal Syria vol. 102: “Un ostracon araméen de la citadelle d’Amman : une lecture à la lumière du corpus iduméen” 🎉 Congratulations! @erc.europa.eu #ERCAdG #workit #workingthoughts #universityofhelsinki #research

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WORK-IT @workit-hki.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Last week we had the pleasure of hosting professor Will Atkinson alongside multiple esteemed scholars for our workshop on Bourdieu and ancient history! A big thank you to all attendees for such a productive exchange. @erc.europa.eu #ERCAdG #workit #workingthoughts #universityofhelsinki #research

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WORK-IT @workit-hki.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

This week, we are happy to welcome Professor Will Atkinson and Dr Caroline Wallis to a public lecture and workshop on Pierre Bourdieu and ancient history. 🤩 Keep your eyes peeled for a later post about the workshop! @erc.europa.eu #ERCAdG #workit #workingthoughts #universityofhelsinki #research

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WORK-IT @workit-hki.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

WORK-IT (UH) and FARE (CNRS) held a workshop together in March '26. We had a lot of excellent discussions which will be edited and published in a forthcoming volume. Thank you to the organizers! erc.europa.eu #ERCAdG #workit #workingthoughts #universityofhelsinki #research

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WORK-IT @workit-hki.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

Our research group had the pleasure of attending the EABS Annual Conference at Uppsala University this June. We presented our project, shared ideas, and had great discussions with colleagues from across Europe. A great thank you to the organizers! #EABS2025 #ERCAdG #WORKIT #UniversityOfHelsinki

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WORK-IT @workit-hki.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

🎉 We are excited to announce our new blog series, WORK-ing Thoughts, where we’ll bring you insights from our researchers as they share their unique perspectives, research journeys, and methodologies. 📅 The first post launches next week! #workit #ERCAdG #universityofhelsinki #blog

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WORK-IT @workit-hki.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

🔍 Last week, we introduced Bourdieu’s Field Theory. Today, we are exploring its three key concepts: Field, Capital, and Habitus. These elements shape social spaces, power dynamics, and how we navigate them⬇️ #workit #ERCAdG #universityofhelsinki #Bourdieu

Field refers to a structured social space where individuals or groups compete for resources, influence, and recognition. Each field has its own rules and power dynamics. The positions people hold within a field are shaped by their relationships with others, and as these positions shift, the field evolves.

Capital is the resource individuals compete for within a field. It goes beyond just economic wealth—it includes social capital (connections and networks), cultural capital (knowledge, education, and skills), and symbolic capital (recognition and prestige). Those who control capital hold more power, while others strive to accumulate it to improve their position.

Habitus is the ingrained mindset and behaviours shaped by one’s background and experiences. It influences how individuals act within a field. While habitus can change over time, it tends to be deeply rooted, shaping how people navigate different fields.

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WORK-IT @workit-hki.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

🔍 Continuing from last week’s introduction to Bourdieu—let’s briefly take a look at his Field Theory. #ERCAdG #workit #universityofhelsinki #Bourdieu

A triangular infographic showing key terms in Bourdieu's Field Theory: Field, capital and habitus.

The text reads: Bourdieu's Field Theory explains how different social spaces operate with their own rules and power dynamics. A field is not just a physical place but a structured environment where individuals or groups (called "actors") hold different positions. These positions determine their influence and access to resources, also known as capital, which actors compete for within the field. Fields are constantly changing as this competition for status and power, reshapes the structure of the field itself. To participate effectively, actors must follow certain unwritten rules—what Bourdieu calls habitus—which help maintain stability within the field.

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WORK-IT @workit-hki.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

🧠 WORK-IT uses Bourdieusian Field Analysis to understand taxation, labor, and their interrelations within ancient states — but who is Bourdieu? 📷: Thierry Ehrmann on Flickr #ERCAdG #work-it #helsinki #bourdieu

Portrait of Pierre Bourdieu painted on a column in black and white.

Text reading: Who is Pierre Bourdieu? Bourdieu (1930-2002), is a groundbreaking French sociologist whose work continues to shape the humanities and social sciences. His concept of Habitus describes how social environments shape our perceptions, behaviours and preferences. In his work 'La Distinction (1979)', Bourdieu argues that taste is not merely a personal choice but shaped by one's field–the social and cultural environment which one operates. Those with high social and cultural capital define what is considered good taste, reinforcing class distinctions. His insights remain highly relevant in discussions on culture, power and inequality.

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WORK-IT @workit-hki.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

🔎How did ancient societies organize work, distribute resources, and meet imperial demands? Our ERC-funded project (2025-2029), explores these questions by studying informal taxation and forced labor in temple economies of the Persian and Southern Levantine world. #ERCAdG #work-it #helsinki

The image contains an infographic with circles and arrows. The graphic is meant to form the question: How did ancient societies work, distribute resources and meet imperial demands? The answer is: Hidden social structures such as informal taxation and forced labor.

The image contains a text describing the research group's topic and aim. The text reads: Instead of focusing only on official taxation, WORK-IT examines the hidden social structures that sustained imperial economies. For example, when a ruler granted materials for construction but not the labor to transport and use them, local communities had to organize work themselves—an often-overlooked form of taxation. The project also moves beyond slavery to consider other forms of unfree labor, such as corvée work (temporary, unpaid labor required by authorities). By combining historical sources from temples with Bourdieusian Field Theory, WORK-IT aims to uncover how labor and taxation shaped ancient societies—and how modern assumptions might be limiting our understanding of pre-industrial economies.

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WORK-IT @workit-hki.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

📢 We are looking for a Doctoral Researcher in economic anthropology for a four-year PhD position starting in September 2025! Check out the details and apply by 13 March 2025 via the link below:

jobs.helsinki.fi

Doctoral Researcher in economic anthropology (southern Levant)

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