Paper short abstract:

The presentation provides a critical understanding of the relation between Albanian ethnographic knowledge and the dictatorial state, and how the former participated in sustaining a state-led holocaustic culture while the latter implemented an ideologically motivated vision on society.

Paper long abstract:

In 1947, a small unite for ethnographic research (sektori i etnografisë) was established in the newly founded Institute of Science in post-WWII Albania. Over time, ethnography was established as a scientific discipline producing its own discourses on the material and non-material culture of the Albanians. Within the historical context defined by one of the harshest dictatorships installed under the banner of the communist ideology of Eastern Europe, Albanian ethnographers continuously created and shaped their own research topics to respond accordingly to the totalitarian state understanding of culture and society's past, present and future. It is in the intention of this presentation to provide a critical and reflective understanding of relation between ethnographic knowledge and the dictatorial state, and how the former participated in sustaining a state-led holocaustic culture while the latter implemented an ideologically motivated vision on society, culture, and people aiming the creation of "new man's world".

Keywords: Ethnography, knowledge, dictatorial situation, holocaustic culture, communism, Albania.

Bio: Dr. Olsi Lelaj, is the Head of the Departement of Ethnology, Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Art Studies in Tirana. He has published the monographs "Nën shenjën e modernitetit: antropologji e proceseve proletarizuese gjatë socializmit shtetëror [=Under the sign of modernity: anthropology of proletarianisation processes under state socialism] in 2015, and "Etnografi në Diktaturë: Dija, Shteti dhe "Holokausti Ynë"" [=Ethnography under dictatoship: Knowledge, the state and "Our Holocuast"] (co-authored with Nebi Bardhoshi) in 2018. Lelaj's research interests include anthropology of modernity, anthropology of class formation and visual anthropology.