David S. Leitner

Anthropologist, Professor, and Consultant in Berkeley, California

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I am a Social Anthropologist and Ethnographic Consultant, currently based in Berkeley, California. My academic research and consulting have focused on how contemporary notions of the self and social relations interact with the emergence of social networks,networking, new digital technologies and innovation . I have conducted ethnographic and participatory research on social networking in the high-tech cluster around Cambridge, England and I have conducted an ethnographic evaluation of a publicly financed* funding model to encourage the uptake of new digital technologies and increased innovative practices in the arts sector.

In the U.S. I have conducted a brief ethnography of co-working and the social aspects of innovation for the Sacramento, CA based Capsity.

I have presented my research at academic conferences in the U.S., the U.K., and Europe and I have participated in a performance art project sponsored by the Arts Catalyst in London. I am currently working on two projects. The first is an ethnographic account of tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) communities focusing especially on Dungeons & Dragons. The second is an exploration of the online cultures of Attention Deficit Disorder and the role of new media in the development of 'neuro-cultures'.

*Amb:IT:ion was funded by the Manchester Digital Development Agency and the Arts Council of England - East and North West regions

  • Work
    • Diablo Valley College
  • Education
    • Cambridge University
    • UC Berkeley
    • Modesto Junior College