MA HS. Aktuelle Themen und Perspektiven der Kulturanthropologie/Volkskunde: Decentering European Ethnology: Building a Transnational Syllabus on Care
Instructors: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Carna BrkovicShortname: HS Akt.Themen
Course No.: 05.174.600
Course Type: Hauptseminar
Requirements / organisational issues
The course is embedded in the teaching initiative “The European Ethnology Transnational Syllabus Collective”, coordinated by the International Society for Ethnology and Folklore (SIEF). Within this framework, KAEE Master’s students from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz will collaborate with students from the University of Graz (Austria), Zadar (Croatia), and Pristina (Kosovo) in the development of a transnational syllabus on the European ethnology of care.A compulsory study trip to Zadar will take place from 13 to 19 December 2026. Participation in the study trip is an integral component of the course.
The languages of instruction in this course are German and English.
Contents
This course introduces students to decentered and transnational approaches within European ethnology and empirical cultural studies. It provides an overview of key methodological and theoretical perspectives that challenge nationally bounded understandings of the discipline. Students are encouraged to critically examine established national framings of European ethnology (e.g., “German Volkskunde,” “Croatian ethnology,” or “Albanian cultural anthropology”) and to engage with approaches that decenter national disciplinary canons.The collaborative work on the syllabus with colleagues from Graz, Zadar and Pristina is designed to enable students to:
- develop familiarity with collaborative and transnational curriculum design practices;
- critically engage with nationally framed academic traditions and canons;
- contribute to the development of a thematically focused, transnational teaching resource;
- reflect on issues of inclusion and representation in academic teaching and curriculum development.
The course concludes with the completion of a jointly developed transnational syllabus on care, produced in collaboration between the participating institutions, as well as an individual written reflection on the teaching and learning process.
The languages of instruction in this course are German and English.
More about the SIEF teaching experiment: https://www.siefhome.org/higher_ed/syllabus_col.shtml?coms_medium=sendy_sief_syllabus_collective
Dates
| Date (Day of the week) | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 10/20/2026 (Tuesday) | 08:15 - 09:45 | 02 445 P205 1141 - Philosophisches Seminargebäude |
| 10/27/2026 (Tuesday) | 08:15 - 09:45 | 02 445 P205 1141 - Philosophisches Seminargebäude |
| 11/03/2026 (Tuesday) | 08:15 - 09:45 | 02 445 P205 1141 - Philosophisches Seminargebäude |
| 11/10/2026 (Tuesday) | 08:15 - 09:45 | 02 445 P205 1141 - Philosophisches Seminargebäude |
| 11/17/2026 (Tuesday) | 08:15 - 09:45 | 02 445 P205 1141 - Philosophisches Seminargebäude |
| 11/24/2026 (Tuesday) | 08:15 - 09:45 | 02 445 P205 1141 - Philosophisches Seminargebäude |
| 12/01/2026 (Tuesday) | 08:15 - 09:45 | 02 445 P205 1141 - Philosophisches Seminargebäude |
| 12/08/2026 (Tuesday) | 08:15 - 09:45 | 02 445 P205 1141 - Philosophisches Seminargebäude |
| 12/15/2026 (Tuesday) | 08:15 - 09:45 | 02 445 P205 1141 - Philosophisches Seminargebäude |
| 12/22/2026 (Tuesday) | 08:15 - 09:45 | 02 445 P205 1141 - Philosophisches Seminargebäude |
| 01/12/2027 (Tuesday) | 08:15 - 09:45 | 02 445 P205 1141 - Philosophisches Seminargebäude |
| 01/19/2027 (Tuesday) | 08:15 - 09:45 | 02 445 P205 1141 - Philosophisches Seminargebäude |
| 01/26/2027 (Tuesday) | 08:15 - 09:45 | 02 445 P205 1141 - Philosophisches Seminargebäude |
| 02/02/2027 (Tuesday) | 08:15 - 09:45 | 02 445 P205 1141 - Philosophisches Seminargebäude |
| 02/09/2027 (Tuesday) | 08:15 - 09:45 | 02 445 P205 1141 - Philosophisches Seminargebäude |
