Simon LarssonView profile
Researcher
Simon Larsson is a Researcher in Social Anthropology at the Center for Multidisciplinary Research on Religion and Society (CRS), Department of Theology, Uppsala University. His work bridges colonial history, Christianity, and the social implications of emerging technologies including AI, nanotechnology, and cybersecurity, with a strong focus on governance frameworks in natural resource management. His research interests reveal a distinctive interdisciplinary trajectory examining how technological systems intersect with religious practices and colonial legacies. Key themes include the anthropology of Christianity in legal-historical contexts (evident in Congo mission studies), digital technology's societal impacts (particularly machine learning's parallels with traditional oracles), and collaborative governance models in environmental conflicts across Sweden and sub-Saharan Africa. Fieldwork spans diverse geographical settings from New Mexico's geological landscapes to Côte d'Ivoire's ritual practices, emphasizing local knowledge systems. Recent publications demonstrate a pronounced shift toward analyzing technology's ethical dimensions through anthropological frameworks, while maintaining continuity in environmental governance research. His 2024-2025 works particularly highlight comparative studies of contingency reduction mechanisms across magical, religious, and algorithmic systems, alongside practical applications in maritime logistics and wildlife management. Larsson's research is primarily funded by the Swedish Research Council, Formas, Mistra, and the Swedish Transport Administration, with additional support from multiple foundations. His collaborative projects frequently involve cross-institutional teams addressing real-world governance challenges in conservation, transportation, and human-technology interaction. As a core member of the Center for Multidisciplinary Research on Religion and Society (CRS), he contributes to an integrated research environment that connects theological studies with anthropological fieldwork and policy-oriented governance analysis, facilitating dialogue between religious traditions and contemporary technological societies.









