Paper short abstract:

One of the methods I use in my research "Analysis of the relationship between anthropogenic climate change and local practices towards intangible cultural heritage" is visual documentation. The presentation will consist of the empirical material produced by this time and ideas for its further use.

Paper long abstract:

Between October 2022 and September 2023, I am conducting a pilot field research titled "Analysis of the relationship between anthropogenic climate change and local practices towards intangible cultural heritage", subsidized by the Polish National Science Center (No. DEC-2022/06/X/HS2/00741). It focuses on the impact that the climate crisis has on rituals and customs related to the growing season, the annual snow cycle and water level. Seven case studies are phenomena related to natural environment and inscribed on the Polish national list of intangible cultural heritage: 1) requiring specific meteorological conditions - Kumoterka Races, 2) related to the growing season and plants - two Corpus Christi Processions with the tradition of floral carpets; Basketry; Sowing hearts and crosses in fields and 3) dependent on surface water levels – Traditional rafting riding. The research aims to reflect on the strategies towards tradition in the context of the climate crisis and empowerment local communities, who have the right not only to be informed about the consequences of climate change but to generate concrete solutions. The research work will be embedded in ethnoclimatology (Orlove 2002, Strauss 2018), climate ethnography (Crate 2011) and anthropology of folklore (Burszta 1987, Kowalski 1990, Sulima 2010). One of the methods I will use is visual documentation - primarily photograps, but also short documentary clips. In my speech, I would like to present the visual empirical material that I will manage to produce by this time and also ideas for its further use.