This talk is part of the Princeton-Yale Ideas Series. 

Event Time

Thursday, June 6, 2024

Registration
6:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Presentation and Commentary
7:00 pm - 8:25 pm

Q&A
8:25 pm - 8:40 pm

Location

Yale Center Beijing 
36th Floor Tower B of IFC Building 8 Jianguomenwai Avenue Chaoyang District, Beijing (Yong'anli Subway Station, Exit C) 

Registration and Fees

Registration
Please click “HERE” further below to register.

Please send an email to yalecenterbeijing@yale.edu if there are any problems. If you encounter any payment issues, please attach a screenshot that identifies the issue.

Ticket:Free for students and faculty (subject to approval); RMB 30 for regular admission.

The Event

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence and labor-saving technologies like self-checkout and automated factories, the future of work has never been more uncertain, and even jobs requiring high levels of human interaction are no longer safe. The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World explores the human connections that underlie our work, arguing that what people do for each other in these settings is valuable and worth preserving.

Drawing on in-depth interviews and observations with people in a broad range of professions, author Allison Pugh, a sociology professor at the University of Virginia, develops the concept of “connective labor,” a kind of work that relies on empathy, the spontaneity of human contact, and a mutual recognition of each other’s humanity. She points out that in order to counteract the trend of depersonalization, we need to rebuild social relationships and find a sense of belonging and value in the practice of "being seen." This reflection on the value of connection between individuals is also reflected in the call by anthropologist Biao Xiang for "rebuilding nearby" and "the initial 500 meters": in an increasingly virtual era, individuals find it increasingly difficult to navigate their relationships with themselves, others, and society, from work to everyday life.

On June 6 at 7 pm, author Allison Pugh will engage in online and offline discussions with Biao Xiang, director of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Germany, and Geng Tian, associate professor of sociology at Peking University, to explore the importance of mutual connection between people in the age of artificial intelligence.

Speakers

Allison Pugh（Online） 
Professor of Sociology and Chair of Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality, University of Virginia

Allison Pugh is Professor of Sociology and Chair of Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality at the University of Virginia. She is the author of The Tumbleweed Society: Working and Caring in an Age of Insecurity and Longing and Belonging: Parents, Children, and Consumer Culture.

Biao Xiang（Online）
Director, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology
Professor in Social Anthropology, University of Oxford

Biao Xiang is Director of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology and Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Oxford. He is the author of Transcending Boundaries, and the co-author of Self as Method.

The Moderator

Geng Tian（In person）

Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Peking University 

Geng Tian is Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Peking University. He holds a bachelor's degree from Peking University, and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Chicago, with primary research interests in political sociology, historical sociology, and social theory.