Welcome to Irritation Seminar and Prof. Anni Kajanus' Inaugural Lecture

Welcome on 26–27 May 2026 to IRRITATION Seminar and New Professors’ Inaugural Lectures!
On 26th of May, the final seminar of the Irritation project will take place at Topelia building.
On 27th of May, the university celebrates its new professors, including Professor of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Anni Kajanus.
 Irritation and Human Sociality Final seminar, including guest speakers and a roundtable

What

The IRRITATION research group combines anthropological and psychological approaches and methods to study the emotion of irritation and its connection to the mechanisms of human cooperation. 

The data for the research has been collected in Finland, China, Brazil, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe to explore the influence of different cultural environments. At the seminar the research group members present their key findings. 

Additionally, guest speakers contribute to the themes of emotional expressions and interaction with presentations and a roundtable discussion.

When

Tuesday 26th of May, 2026, all day

Where

Topelia (Unioninkatu 38), room F211

Participation and registration

The seminar is open for anyone interested in the topics. Please register for the seminar (for catering purposes) with the following link  by 

Seminar programme

9:00-9:15 Anni Kajanus: Introducing the Irritation and Human Sociality Project

9:15-9:45 Miranda Wu: When endurance meets Wei Qu: irritation expression and containment across gendered emotions in Chinese domestic settings

9:45-10:15 Justice Medzani: Irritating relatives: How feathers are smoothened in Shona families

10:15-10:45 Particia Scalco: Contouring relationships: Irritation and moral expectation in the context of Brazil

10:45-11:15 Coffee 

11:15-11:45 Nadia Augustyniak: Having felt it, I send it away: Irritation and other negative emotions in a Sinhala-Buddhist cultural frame   

11:45-12:15 Fangming Cui: A daily-diary study on irritation in everyday lives: Frequency, intensity, expression and consequences across five countries 

12:15-12:30, Juho Halonen: Experimental design on Irritation in cooperation and decision-making

12:30-13:30 Lunch break

13:30-14:00 Charles Stafford (London School of Economics): Irritation and freeing ourselves from other people

14:00-14:30 Christophe Heinz (Central European University): Informative intentions and emotional expressions            

14:30-14:45 Break                    

14:45-16:00 Roundtable Beyond negative emotions: the productive disruptions of bad feelings

Discussants:  (University of Massachusetts Amherst),  (University of Alabama),  (LSE),  (CEU), Anni Kajanus (UH), Nadia Augustyniak (UH)

16:00 After-seminar drinks in a local pub      
Anni Kajanus’ Inaugural Lecture Unpleasant bonds: What irritation reveals about human sociality

What

The university will celebrate its new professors, including the newly appointed Professor of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Anni Kajanus.  

serve as popular introductions to the professors’ disciplines and current research topics. Professor Kajanus will give a 20-minute lecture about irritation, which seems like a threat to cooperation, however, its pervasiveness suggests in some sense we need it. 

The lectures are followed by a ceremonial event in the Great Hall from 17:00–18:00. After the ceremony, a cocktail reception will also be offered in the university facilities. 

When

Wednesday 27th of May, 2026 at 15:30

Where

University of Helsinki Main Building (Fabianinkatu 33), room F3003 (Tekla Hultin) and Unitube stream. 

Participation and registration

The lectures as well as the celebration afterwards are open for everyone, no registration needed.