14th International Conference of Young Folklorists. Humble Theory and the Power of the Vernacular

Name: 14th International Conference of Young Folklorists. Humble Theory and the Power of the Vernacular
Start: 2025-09-25T09:00:00+03:00
End: 2025-09-26T17:30:00+03:00
Location: Tartu University Library

Schedule

Thu, 25 Sep, 2025 at 09:00 am to Fri, 26 Sep, 2025 at 05:30 pm

UTC+03:00

Location

Tartu University Library | Tartu, TA

14th International Conference of Young Folklorists
Humble Theory and the Power of the Vernacular
University of Tartu Library (W. Struve 1, Tartu)
The event is dedicated to new directions in folklore studies and ethnology, where the role of vernacular theories has grown significantly.
The principles of humble theory were articulated by Dorothy Noyes in her influential monograph Humble Theory: Folklore’s Grasp on Social Life (2016). In it, she highlights everyday life and vernacular expressiveness in research, favoring these over abstract theoretical constructions that overlook the nuances of folklore, the uniqueness of performance contexts, individual creativity, and social meaning.
Some of the core questions addressed by the conference include:
● How can we develop theory grounded in vernacular practices and ethnography?
● How does humble theory relate to professional identities?
● How do historical and institutional contexts shape theoretical thinking and academic practices?
● How does humble theory function in the digital world shaped by algorithms and artificial intelligence?
The conference will feature over 40 presentations. Keynote speakers are honorary doctor of the University of Tartu, Prof. Dorothy Noyes (Ohio State University), and Prof. Mariya Lesiv (Memorial University of Newfoundland).
The conference offers an ideal opportunity to explore new directions in folklore studies, as well as to network and engage in in-depth discussions with young researchers from Estonia and abroad.
More information about the event can be found here: https://sisu.ut.ee/youngfolklorists2025/
Registration until September 10, https://forms.office.com/e/4bPc5y5MiD