Henry Jenkins honorary doctor at Uppsala University
Professor Henry Jenkins, who researches online activism, has been appointed new honorary doctor at Uppsala University’s Faculty of Social Sciences.
Henry Jenkins is Provost’s Professor of Communication, Journalism, Cinematic Arts and Education at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA. He has made great contributions in several different scholarly fields, such as cultural studies, political science, sociology, and media and communication studies. One of his most important contributions is showing the political importance of popular culture. In his early work in the 1990s he focused on popular TV series, while his later research has looked at participatory cultures and youths use of online media. Jenkins’ work is distinguished by his recurring reminders that people are not victims or slaves under technology, but use technology for activistic purposes. His combination of optimism and critical realism has inspired several generations of researchers. He has also reached many non-academic groups, supporting their work for a better and more participatory world.
The Conferment Ceremony will be held in the University Main Building on 26 January 2018.
Nico Carpentier, Professor in media and communication studies at the Department of Informatics and Media at Uppsala University, is promoter of Professor Henry Jenkins.