Anouk de Koning delivers her inaugural lecture on the ‘Intimate State’
On June 6, 2025, anthropologist Anouk de Koning delivered her inaugural lecture at the University of Amsterdam, titled The Intimate State: Remaking Political Landscapes in the Netherlands. In her lecture, she explored how the Dutch welfare state has, since 2015, been transformed into an "intimate state"—a seemingly human, close, and participatory government that carries out its social responsibilities through neighborhood teams and collaborations with citizens.
De Koning demonstrated how this intimate state not only fosters new forms of closeness and cooperation but also blurs the boundaries between state and society, paid work and volunteerism—thereby creating new inequalities and tensions. She advocated for a “critical anthropology with the state,” in which researchers, policymakers, and practitioners jointly reflect on both the ideals and the darker sides of social policy practices.
Read the full lecture or watch the inaugural speech.
Photo: Maria Heijendael.