engleski

Dialogical research practices in Europe: Approaches and implications

From a historical perspective, “doers” and “knowers” of European traditions within ethnomusicology and folklore studies seem to have had a close relationship, due to Europe’s specific geographical, political and cultural conditions. Consisting of more than 40 countries, Europe is home to numerous local traditions. Yet it is also a site that has developed strong transnational networks, be it with regard to the development of the European Union, the increasing emergence of migrant communities, or political and academic frameworks that encourage dialogue. Due to the strong presence of local traditions and political developments connected to the “nation state model”, European researchers have been working with consultants who were part of their own ‘cultures’ and music traditions (including research on minority, colonial and postcolonial communities). These tendencies can still be noticed in present-day Europe, shaping the production of ethnomusicological knowledge and dialogical interaction. Falling back on research projects on Swedish and North-Eastern Scottish music traditions, Bosnian refugee and Roma communities, music festivals in Croatia, but also Turkish music students in Vienna and orchestra traditions, we want to discuss the following questions in this roundtable: What about the actual distinction between “doers” and “knowers”? Do interlocutors have more control over the published results in Europe? How do researchers deal with issues around their own roles in the representation of musical traditions in this situation? How far does the community or interlocutor benefit from the research? What are the ethical aspects to be considered – also with regard to issues of intimidation and the wider impact? Is there any benefit in transnational ethnomusicological collaboration projects in this context? Ceribašić considers four aspects of dialogue and responsibility that European ethnomusicologists (need to) employ in their work: a) in relation to people they research, b) in relation to the scholarly community (in terms of working for the betterment of specific knowledge and general epistemology), c) in relation to commissioners of their research, both national and European, d) in relation to themselves as individuals with specific habitus, worldviews and values, that is, to their personal sense of public good, as the author call it. This last aspect is more critical for ethnomusicology at home.

ethnomusicology; scholarly research; applied ethnomusicology; dialogue; Europe

riječ je o jednoj o tri-plenary sessions