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Accepted Contribution:
Contribution short abstract:
Our talk addresses methodological challenges in studying transnational entanglements in folklore studies. We propose ‘transnational constellations’—networks of actors, media, practices, and more— to explore transnational exchanges that shape(d) folkloristic knowledge.
Contribution long abstract:
To this day, the investigation of transnational interconnections in the history of folklore studies during its early institutionalization in the late 19th century remains an unaddressed research gap. This gap stems not only from entrenched disciplinary and national research traditions in the history of social thought but also from the inherent complexities of conducting transnational research. In our presentation, we will discuss how we tackle the methodological and practical challenges associated with investigating the transnational history of entanglements within our discipline, as part of the research project “Actors – Narratives – Strategies: Constellations of Transnational Folklore Research, 1875–1905” (German Research Foundation, 2022–2027). Central to our approach is the concept of the ’transnational constellation.’ We define transnational constellations as networks comprising actors, infrastructures, media, practices, objects, strategies, discursive strands, and positions. Such transnational constellations are ethnographically approached and examined through multi-scalar analyses. To explore them with a focus on transnational knowledge practices, the project employs the concept of ‘shared history’ and integrates it with the conceptual framework of histoire croisée (entangled history). This approach allows us to describe in detail exemplary processes of transnational exchange and their role in shaping folkloristic knowledge and practice. At the same time, it makes it possible to investigate how these exchanges were intertwined with social, political, scientific, and economic conditions that influenced the diverse forms of folklore studies' institutionalization at local and regional levels; being aware of the complex and sometimes unequal nature of transnational interrelation.
Un/writing disciplinary histories: transnational, transcultural, and transdisciplinary dialogues in ethnology and folklore [WG: Historical approaches in cultural analysis]
Session 1