Alex Pillen is a scholar in the field of anthropology and an associate professor. Her specialism concerns the anthropology of language and a consideration of trauma in an anthropological sense. Within her field, Alex has made several contributions to academia through her research, teaching, and ethnographic insights.
Anthropology of Language
Alex’s research covers various key elements within an anthropology of language. She has researched and contributed to articles discussing language in its social and cultural context, linguistic creativity, and the role of global English as a common tool for translation. Furthermore, her work addresses definitions of trauma and their translation within non-Western cultural contexts. Her various publications attest to her commitment to expanding knowledge within the academic community and beyond.
Linguistic Diversity
Alex’s research areas cover the cross-cultural understanding and the preservation of linguistic diversity. Her efforts include advocacy for endangered languages and engagement with indigenous communities, emphasising the importance of linguistics in preserving human heritage.
Architecture of Language
Natural language is a remarkable and intricate phenomenon that has developed over millennia through a complex interplay of innovation and repetition. When we contemplate language, it is often through the lens of our own writing systems, where words are neatly arranged on a page, or as the spoken sounds that convey meaning. The complexity of language as a multi-dimensional feature of humanity is often lost from view.
As part of her research at the UCL (University College London), Alex collaborated with the architect Emma Kate Matthews on a unique way to preserve languages using 3D printing technology – by employing parametric design software to represent the sound and grammatical patterns of four distinct languages visually. They then used a 3D printer to create physical representations of these linguistic characteristics. The goal was to find an innovative method to document endangered languages and convey intricate language elements often lost in translation.
Trauma
As an anthropologist, Alex has conducted research and contributed to articles that explore the complex concept of trauma from a cross-cultural perspective, aiming to understand how various societies across the world grapple with the impact of traumatic events. Her research areas cover the societal repercussions of genocide, mass violence, global conflict and civil war and how trauma itself is defined.
She critically examines how anthropologists and scholars within other fields conceptualise and define trauma. By doing so, she contributes to the ongoing discourse about trauma in non-Western contexts and the refinement of anthropological approaches to trauma.
Associations
Alex Pillen is associated with the Royal Anthropological Institute (Anthropology and Language Committee), Society for Linguistic Anthropology, The Association of Social Anthropologists of the UK and The European Association of Social Anthropologists.
Alex also has a forthcoming book that develops the notion of an anthropology of language, and portrays the analytical remit of its methods.