NAMS project working group “Folkloristics: A Discipline Between Identity Politics and Knowledge”

The working group’s research focuses on the processes of identity politics and knowledge creation in which folklorists interact with society during significant periods in Latvian history — the early stages of national identity formation in the 19th century, during the founding of the Latvian state in the interwar period, during the Soviet occupation, as well as in the present day. The research focuses on the little-studied biographies of early 19th-century Baltic German folklore collectors and their folkloristic contributions, as well as on the public engagement campaigns, methods, and results following the establishment of the Archives of Latvian Folklore in 1924. The researchers will also analyze the method of reflexive ethnography, which was sporadically used in folklore documentation during the early stages of the Soviet occupation, as well as the concept of authenticity, which defined the value orientation of the folklore movement in the 1970s and 1980s. In addition, the research group’s interests include the use of cultural heritage in contemporary protest movements.

The working group’s team consists of representatives from UL ILFA and UL Faculty of Humanities – researchers Dace Bula, Sandis Laime, Valdis Muktupāvels, Ginta Pērle-Sīle, Sanita Reinsone and Ieva Weaver (Vīvere), as well as students Ilga Vālodze Ābelkina, Simona Kaščejeva and Sindija Anča.

Project “NAMS. Latvian Identity and Knowledge Strategies as Resources for Societal Resilience” of the State Research Programme “LETONIKA for the Development of a Latvian and European Society” (No. VPP-IZM-LETONIKA-2025/1-0008).