[Gandur] Winter school of folkloristics, Jharkhand, Ranchi, India, January 2014

[Valdimar Tryggvi Hafstein]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Elo-Hanna Seljamaa <seljamaa.1 at buckeyemail.osu.edu>
Date: Tue, Feb 12, 2013 at 7:47 AM
Subject: [H-FOLK] Winter school of folkloristics, Jharkhand, Ranchi, India,
January 2014
To: H-FOLK at h-net.msu.edu


"Tradition, Creativity and Indigenous Knowledge: Winter School of
International Folkloristics"
Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, INDIA
January 12 ? 21, 2014

Contemporary approaches conceptualise folklore as a vernacular expressive
practice embedded in social, communicative and political contexts. Whereas
earlier scholarship emphasised the stability of folklore as a static and
conservative body of knowledge, current research focuses on variation,
change and creativity. However, even though synchronic approaches tend to
dominate in international folkloristics, tradition has remained one of the
key-concepts of the discipline, referring to the historical dimension of
folklore and the cultural process of ?creating future out of the past? (H.
Glassie). The creation and preservation of traditions is seen as an
integral part of the everyday life of individuals, local communities and
informal networks as well as states and various institutions.

The winter school at the Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, aims at
bringing together doctoral students, junior and senior scholars from
different countries to discuss the relationship between tradition and
creativity, stability and change in folklore past and present. Since the
meeting will be held in a region that abounds with indigenous peoples of
India, special attention will be paid to the indigenous peoples of the
world and their traditional knowledge expressed in worldviews, belief
systems, poetic and narrative genres, arts and practices of everyday life.

The winter school will be hosted by the Centre for Indigenous Culture,
established in 2010 as a part of the School of Cultural Studies at the
Central University of Jharkhand (CUJ). CUJ itself was founded in 2009 and
for the time being operates from its temporary campus at Brambe in the
close neighbourhood of the villages of the indigenous Oraon people.

Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand, is well connected to other parts and
cities of India by air, by rail and road. Located at a fairly high altitude
(2,000 above msl), Ranchi and its surroundings have a cool, salubrious
climate throughout the year. The average winter temperature is 10° - 23°  C
(Nov ? Feb).

The programme of the winter school features lectures accompanied by
seminars, fieldwork among the tribal peoples of Jharkhand and an academic
symposium. All participants are expected to prepare a 20-minute paper about
their current research to be presented for seminar discussions. The working
language of the winter school is English. Participation is limited to 20
students and hence competitive. Applicants are asked to send a letter of
motivation (200-300 words) and a short CV to <winterschool2014 at gmail.com>
by April 30, 2013. Applicants will be notified about the results by June
10, 2013. The organising committee will select an equal number of
participants from India and other countries, respectively.

Participants are expected to cover their travel costs to Jharkhand.
Registration fee is INR 3000 (for Indian participants) and USD 150 (for
foreign participants).

The winter school of international folkloristics is organised by the Centre
for Indigenous Culture, Central University of Jharkhand (India) and the
Department of Estonian and Comparative Folklore, University of Tartu
(Estonia) in collaboration with the Centre of Excellence in Cultural Theory
(CECT).

Dr. Rabindranath Sarma, Central University of Jharkhand, India
Prof. Ülo Valk, University of Tartu, Estonia