Ethnology and Folklore University of Aberdeen

Overview

At a Glance

We are all innately creative, whether through the stories we recount, the jokes we tell, the songs we sing, the traditions we keep, the online 'memes' we create and share, our customs and beliefs, the ways we remember those who have passed away, the festivals we celebrate, or the clothes we wear.

These creative everyday expressions are the core of what we study at the Elphinstone Institute. Students will explore this vibrant vernacular culture within the context of wider society, when and where it comes from, what it means to people today, and the different ways scholars have studied this material since the beginnings of the disciplines.

The Taught MLitt in Ethnology and Folklore aims to develop a broad-based understanding of how the disciplines of Ethnology, Folklore, and Ethnomusicology evolved, and offers an introduction to the major genres of study – including material culture, custom and belief, music and song, oral narrative, childlore, dress, and games and sports – with special emphasis on culture and tradition in the Scottish context. 

Graduates will gain knowledge of the concepts, practical skills, and methodologies of Ethnology, Folklore, and Ethnomusicology. While a number of graduates go on to, for example, careers in the public arts, museums, archives, and cultural tourism following their MLitt, the programme also provides a sound basis for further research at the doctoral level.

In addition to the four core taught courses, students complete a fieldwork-based dissertation, attend a week-long Field School at the beginning of the academic year, a further five-day trip in the spring term, take part in regular fieldwork exercises, and develop practical skills in archiving, and audio and video creation and editing.

This is the only course in the United Kingdom designed to prepare appropriate candidates from any discipline for doctoral research in Ethnology and Folklore in a Scottish context with a North-East and North focus. The Elphinstone Institute, renowned for its traditional music and folklore, provides a supportive environment with world-leading research opportunities. To join this programme, a good undergraduate degree in humanities or social sciences is required, along with an IELTS score of 6.5. Embrace your passion for culture and tradition with the MLitt in Ethnology & Folklore.

The programme covers:

- The history and development of the disciplines of Ethnology, Folklore, and Ethnomusicology;

- The major genres of language, ballad and song, dance, music, narrative, vernacular literature, vernacular medicine, custom and belief, and material culture;

- Contemporary issues such as reflexivity, digital folklore, the treatment of place and time, identity, ethics, and gender;

- Case studies involving the application of Ethnology, Folklore, and Ethnomusicology concepts to issues in contemporary society, including cultural change and stability, language change, emigration and immigration, and the 'invented Scot';

- Radio project and film project work;

-  and digital field recording, processing, and archiving.

Accreditations

Arts and Humanities Research Council recognised

Courses listed for the programme

Term 1

·     History, Core Genres, and Methodologies of Ethnology and Folklore 

·     Perspectives on Tradition, Identity, and Fieldwork

Term 2

·     Oral Traditions 

·     Intellectual and Practical Approaches to the Scottish Context 

Summer Term

·     Dissertation in Ethnology and Folklore 

Find out more by visiting the programme web page

Why Study at Aberdeen?

- The University of Aberdeen’s Elphinstone Institute was created in 1995, in order to sustain and share the renowned traditions, language, music, folklore, and heritage of the North-East of Scotland. It is a small, friendly, supportive department.

- The North-East of Scotland is internationally renowned for its traditional song and music (for example, the Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection), as well as fiddling and storytelling traditions.

- Our staff are well known in the fields of Ethnology and Folklore and have strong international links to other Universities and academic institutions.

- The Institute continues to produce world-leading research.

- The University of Aberdeen (founded in 1495) is one of Scotland’s Ancient Universities, set in beautiful ‘Old Aberdeen’.

• University of Aberdeen
• 12 Months or 24 Months
• Full Time or Part Time
• September start

Visit the Ethnology & Folklore (MLitt) page on the Aberdeen University website for more details

Accreditation

MLitt in Ethnology and Folklore

MRes in Ethnology and Folklore

PhD in Ethnology and Folklore 

PhD in Ethnomusicology