As part of this year’s 2023 AAA Annual Meeting, several members managed the formidable (and rather intimidating) task of explaining their theses in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience – and in just 180 seconds! This year’s submissions were clear and concise covering a number of complex issues ranging from occults/UFOs to the social management of systemic Lupus.
The grand prize ($400) went to Jessi Robbins for “Doin’ Time: Entertainment and Exploitation at Decommissioned Prison Museums in the United States.” First runner up ($200) went to Yeon-ju Bae for “Better life, better nature: The politics of ethical interaction in a Korean Buddhist return-to-the-farm village.” The second runner up ($100) went to Anita Zandstra for “Identity and alterity in a comedy series from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, during the presidency of Evo Morales.”
Judges for the Three Minute Thesis competition, sponsored by the National Institute of Social Sciences, hailed from their experience at top media outlets, including NPR and Science Magazine.