Ethnology

Ethnology is a discipline that focuses on the study of everyday human life. Ethnologists are curious about how different groups in society create social forms and cultural expressions. Sweden is often the field site, but also the Nordic countries and the rest of Europe, and our research and teaching often have global and transnational perspectives. Through texts, lectures and practical exercises, students engage with research focusing on working life, recreation, gender, age and generations. The ethnological practice also encompasses to study material objects and artifacts, ethnicity and migration, life histories, beliefs and traditions, cultural encounters and heritage, and urban and rural life.

A fundamental characteristic of the discipline of Ethnology is the quest for understanding individuals’ everyday life experiences and how these connect to the cultural expressions of a social group. The answers to such queries are oftentimes both complex and contradictory as well-known phenomena are illuminated in a new light.

Already during the first semester of the program, students learn to identify sources to analyse and to write ethnographic descriptions. In our courses, you learn to apply ethnological methods by conducting fieldwork, which includes surveys, interviews and observations. You also learn to collect people’s stories and memories. At times, we carry out fieldwork in the past using older artifacts and memories. The ethnologist often includes a historical element in the analyses of contemporary social life.

The ethnological training lays the foundation for research and professional practice both within and beyond the university. Ethnological knowledge and skills are relevant in areas that deal with cultural heritage and diversity, such as museums, archives, and cultural integration. You will find ethnologists working also in the fields of journalism, education and communication and project management.