Micro, Macro, Agency: Historical Ethnography as Cultural Anthropology Practice

In its current form of "European ethnology," Volkskunde is increasingly conceptualized as a Europe-oriented study of the present. As a result, historical research is often limited to those periods considered part of the European "modern," and may be restricted to uses that illumi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of folklore research 2007-01, Vol.44 (1), p.67-99
Main Authors: Michaela Fenske, Bendix, John
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agency
Anthropological theory
Archives
Cultural anthropology
Cultural studies
Culture
Discipline
Ethnographic research
Ethnography
Ethnohistory
Ethnology
Field of ethnology
Field research
Folklore
German
Historical analysis
Historical ethnography
History
History instruction
Narrative history
Research methods
Social sciences
Sources and methods
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Summary:In its current form of "European ethnology," Volkskunde is increasingly conceptualized as a Europe-oriented study of the present. As a result, historical research is often limited to those periods considered part of the European "modern," and may be restricted to uses that illuminate the present. In contrast, this article advocates an open approach to cultural anthropology, particularly with respect to historical research. It outlines ways in which the new focus perpetuates old fault lines within the discipline and ways in which they may be bridged. It discusses ways in which the themes of "micro," "macro," and "agency" have played out in the author's own work, but it also highlights the real differences between works focused on the present and the past.
ISSN:0737-7037
1543-0413
DOI:10.2979/JFR.2007.44.1.67