Dr. Annika Teppo

Biography

Annika Teppo is an anthropologist with extensive experience in South Africa, focusing on themes such as whiteness, social engineering, and urban public spaces. Her academic journey began in 1997 and has led her to examine the intricate social and moral landscapes of communities in post-apartheid Cape Town. Her research interests encompass urban anthropology, religion, kinship economy, and critical race studies. Currently, she is investigating the changing social contract of the Swedish Finns in suburban Stockholm. Teppo earned her PhD in Social Cultural Anthropology from the University of Helsinki in 2004 and has since held significant positions, including Docent and Principal Investigator at the Department of Social Research, University of Helsinki. Her editorial work includes serving as Editor-in-chief for the Nordic Journal of African Studies from 2018 to 2022. With a deep focus on African cities, she seeks to understand the dynamics of race, class, and ethnicity, particularly among white South Africans and their communities. Teppo is leading a European Union Horizon project to explore the continuous transformation of social contracts. Her tenure in academia includes roles at various institutes in Finland, and she has lectured at universities in South Africa including Stellenbosch and Pretoria.

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