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’s presence after death. Her interdisciplinary project combines sociology, consumer culture, and death studies to explore 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 remain present even after their passing. By 2070, there may be more Facebook accounts for the deceased than for the living. The Digital Afterlife Industry (DAI) offers various technologies to deal with digital presence after death. This study aims to understand why people use these services, and the study explores the ethical questions such services raise for traditional rituals. The study will provide insight into people’s motivations, the meanings behind them, and the broader impact on society. The findings will guide how we deal with digital remnants and contribute to ethical discussions about the commercialization of the afterlife. This information can also help decision-makers protect the data of the deceased.
 
The money comes from the research-talent program Inge Lehmann, which is part of the political agreement on the research reserve for 2022. The purpose of the program is to strengthen early career talent development in Danish research and promote gender balance in research environments in Denmark.

For more information, please visit https://dff.dk/cases/udviklingen-tvinger-os-til-at-taenke-over-vores-digitale-liv-efter-doden 

Congratulations, Marina, well done!