Dr. Marina Leban Receives Funding from the Inge Lehmann Program 2023
Dr. Marina Leban Receives Funding from the Inge Lehmann Program 2023
It is a real pleasure to learn that Dr. Marina Leban, who is a tenure-track assistant professor at the Department of Marketing, has just been awarded DKK 3.16 million from the Independent Research Council of Denmark (DFF) through the Inge Lehmann Program 2023.
Marina will delve into the phenomenon of ’digital afterlife’, exploring the use of technology to prolong one’sÌýpresence after death. Her interdisciplinary project combines sociology, consumer culture, and death studies toÌýexplore motivational factors, meanings, and ethics dilemmas behind digital afterlife services. The project will run 2024-2027 and be in collaboration with professor (mso) Thyra Uth Thomsen, professor (mso) Sylvia von Wallpach, professor Fleura Bardhi, and a research assistant, all in the Department of Marketing.
The research project investigates the phenomenon of the ’digital afterlife’, where people use technology to remainÌýpresent even after their passing. By 2070, there may be more Facebook accounts for the deceased than for theÌýliving. The Digital Afterlife Industry (DAI) offers various technologies to deal with digital presence after death. ThisÌýstudy aims to understand why people use these services, and the study explores the ethical questions such services raise forÌýtraditional rituals. The study will provide insight into people’s motivations, the meanings behind them, and theÌýbroader impact on society. The findings will guide how we deal with digital remnants and contribute to ethicalÌýdiscussions about the commercialization of the afterlife. This information can also help decision-makers protectÌýthe data of the deceased.
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The money comes from the research-talent program Inge Lehmann, which is part of the political agreement onÌýthe research reserve for 2022. The purpose of the program is to strengthen early career talent development in DanishÌýresearch and promote gender balance in research environments in Denmark.
For more information, please visitÌýÌý
Congratulations, Marina, well done!