Author Archives: Baird Campbell

I am currently a Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow in Rice University’s Program in Writing and Communication. I received my PhD in sociocultural anthropology from Rice University in May 2021. My current research, “The Archive of the Self: Trans Self-Making and Social Media in Santiago de Chile argues that online Chilean trans subjectivities and social media archives are dialectically related; that is these subjectivities are shaped by—and also shape—interactions with the social media content of others, which in turn leads to changes in both on- and offline gender expression and identity. Furthermore, I argue that social media constitutes a space of innovation on pre-existing forms of narrative resistance dating back to Chile’s military dictatorship (1973-1990), in which individual and group memory-work became a salient form of resistance. I am also beginning work on a new project that explores the shifting politics of race in today’s Chile, through the lens of the largely unmarked category of whiteness and its intersections with class and gender. I am also passionate about public scholarship, and am working on several projects at the moment. I am currently the Public Scholarship Fellow for the New York Academy of Sciences Anthropology Division. I also recently completed a fellowship with Cool Anthropology, where I designed anthropological content for a variety of audiences. Additionally, I am in the final stages of a collaborative project with several of my interlocutors and Chilean photographer Karina Fuenzalida, an interactive web portal (de) les Trans, a public humanities project that questions the primacy of the photographic and ethnographic gazes in telling trans stories by centering autobiographical contributions from each participant. (Premiering fall 2022!)
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Platypod, Episode Four: Connections and Disconnections on Social Media

In this episode, Platypod presents a conversation between Baird Campbell (Rice University) and Ilana Gershon (Indiana University Bloomington). They discuss the politics of connection and disconnection via social media in Chile and the US. (read more...)

Mara Rita sits in a park holding her book, Tropico Mio. She is wearing a black bowler hat, dark rimmed glasses, a printed button down shirt, and a white sweater over it. She is simling.

The Networked Animita: Transgender Remembrance on Social Media

Tomorrow, November 20th, the world will commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to collectively mourn and remember those who have died as a result of transphobia. Started in 1999 by US trans woman Gwendolyn Ann Smith, Transgender Day of Remembrance is now observed in countries around the world, including my primary field site, Chile. In this post, I explore how social media might be understood as a technology of memorialization and mourning, especially for marginalized groups. Inspired by informal roadside shrines called animitas, popular in Chile and elsewhere in Latin America, I propose the ‘networked animita’ as a useful analytic for understanding trans remembrance online. I do so through an exploration of the digital afterlife of Chilean trans activist, educator, interlocutor, and friend Mara Rita Villaroel Oñate. (read more...)

Street art of Donald Trump that has had a Bernie sticker placed over his mouth.

STS and Electoral Politics

In the context of the upcoming US presidential election and increasing evidence of the importance of voting infrastructure, this week we revisit past posts that highlight the key role STS must play in these conversations. (read more...)

A beige slide with a dark blue platypus on the left reads "COVID-19: Views from the Field" A Platypus roundtable with Ashley ThuthaoKeng Dam, Caitlyn Dye, Sonia Qadir, Rebekah Ciribassi, Kristina Jaconsen

Roundtable: “COVID-19: Views from the Field”

We’re wrapping up our five-part series, “COVID-19: Views from the Field,” with a pre-recorded roundtable. This roundtable brought our authors into conversation with each other, across continents and timezones, to discuss conducting—or not conducting—fieldwork in places not understood as COVID-19 “hotspots.” Check out the video here, and follow the links below to read the whole series, also available in the language of each field site. (read more...)

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Platypus Celebrates AAPI Heritage Month

In celebration and recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, take a look back at some of our favorite past posts from and about the region. (read more...)

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Meet Our 2020 Contributing Editors!

As we begin another exciting year here at Platypus, we’d like to introduce you to our new group of Contributing Editors. Contributing Editors are responsible both for producing and seeking out content for the blog. If you are interested in contributing something to the blog but aren’t sure how, reach out to the contributing editor who most closely relates to your proposed topic! (read more...)

Before They Erase It: Memory and the social media archive

This afternoon, I began to notice increasingly alarming images, posts, and tweets from my interlocutors in Santiago. It appeared that Santiago was on fire, and that the military was in the streets. Images of familiar streets and landmarks now felt doubly familiar, as their similarity to images taken during the coup of 1973 were undeniable. A quick Google search confirmed my fears; Piñera had declared a state of emergency in response to the student metro protests, that there were already deaths, disappearances, and torture reported, and that a curfew had been implemented. Switching over to Whatsapp, I sent frantic messages to my interlocutors and former host family to check that they were safe (they were.) However, it was clear that—even for seasoned activists—this felt different. Many recalled memories or iconic images of the 1973 coup, wondering if history might be about to repeat itself. As the day progressed, I began (read more...)

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Platypus Celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month

In support of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, please enjoy some of our favorite posts engaging with understandings of disability! (read more...)