Welcome to Contemporary Culture Theory (or CCT), for 7,5 ECTS!

This course is taught and coordinated by Jakob Löfgren. Contact him, if you have questions about the course and the teaching. jakob.lofgren@etnologi.uu.se

The course starts with an introductory lecture on the 2nd of September  at 14.15-16:00 in room 2-K1028 (Campus Engelska Parken). 

The course (1) explores some of the major theories used and developed in modern ethnology and folkloristics and (2) exemplifies how ethnologists and folklorists operate with these theories in empirical studies today.

 

Don't forget to register for the course

To start studying, you need to register. Go to Ladok for studentsLinks to an external site. to register. On the Admissions and registrationLinks to an external site. page there are instructions on how to do this. Registration is open from 25 July until 24 August 2025.

 

Theories and themes: 

Emotion and Affect

Materiality 

Narrative

Inequalities

Ritual

Genre

Chaos theory

 

Required Reading

Fivecoate, J. A., & Kitta, A. (2025). Whispers in the Echo Chamber: Folklore and the Role of Conspiracy Theory in Contemporary Society. University of Wisconsin Press. Cloth: 978-0-299-35060-4 | eISBN: 978-0-299-35068-0 (ePub) | eISBN: 978-0-299-35063-5 (PDF)

Kjus, A., Löfgren, J., O’Carroll, C., Poole, S., & Tolgensbakk, I. (Eds.). (2025). Adventures in the Play-Ritual Continuum. University Press of Colorado. ISBN: 978-1-64642-674-4

Goldstein, Diane E. & Shuman, Amy 2016: The Stigmatized Vernacular: Where Reflexivity Meets Untellability. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.. https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.its.uu.se/stable/j.ctt2005w71Links to an external site..

Hajduk-Nijakowska, Janina (2025) TOWARDS THE NEW FOLKLORE GENRE THEORY in Slovenský Narodopis : časopis Slovenskej Akadémie Vied, ISSN 1335-1303, e-ISSN 1339-9357

Herd, Katarzyna (2022)

Herman, David 2009: Basic Elements of Narrative. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.

Löfgren, Jakob 2020: “Boys memories in adult narratives” i Etnologia Scandinavica (2020) ISSN 0348-9698. 13s.

Miller, Daniel 2009: Stuff. London: UCL press.

Pétursson, Jón Þór 2020: Intimate Food : Establishing Relationships within the Food Chain. Avhandling. Reykjavik: Félagsvísindastofnun Háskóla Íslands.

Tyler Imogen, Stigma: The Machinery of Inequality, Zed Books: London, 2020; 288 pp.: ISBN 978-1786993304

Sløk-Andersen, Beate 2018: “How good soldiers become with their uniforms. An exploration of uniformity in action” i Etnologia Scandinavica (2018) ISSN 0348-9698.

Wetherell, Margret, 2012: Affect and Emotion: A New Social Science Understanding. London: SAGE.

 

Outline and examination

The outline of the course is as follows:

• Every week you will read the required litterature.
• A 45 minute lecture on the theory of the week will be given by the lecturer (see the list of lectures, readings and teachers above) 
• The second part of our weekly meetings are a seminar in which we together look at the case study reading text and discuss the implementation of the theory at hand in modern ethnology & folkloristics 

The examination of the course is two-pronged and will be conducted as follows:

• Every week you will be required to submit a reflexive learnig diary, recounting the discussions in the read litterature, lecture and discussion (see the detailed instructions below) 
• At the end of the course you will write an essay (7-10 pp.) contemplating the application of two theoretical schools of your choice.

What is a learning diary? - more detailed instructions 

A learning diary is a reflexive text reflecting upon what you yourself have learned from the required reading and questions that you reflected on in/during the lectures/seminars. It is a style of text that focuses on your ability to process and ponder theoretical thought and application in free text.   

In this course the learning diary will be handed in the day before the next lecture. Links will be provided in the assignments section. 

 

The required length of the diary entries are 3-5pp./entry.

• Half of which you will spend on the presentation of the main thoughts and your reflection on the required reading of the week (roughly 2-2.5 pp.).
• The other half you will be required to reflect on issues discussed, raised and contemplated in the seminar-section of the weekly meeting. 

Remember that what is important is (1) your own ability to present the main lines of the theory at hand and (2) your reflections and contemplations on the theory at hand. 

 

The style of reference to be used in both lecture diaries and the oral paper is the CHICAGO authour date style.