Call For Papers

We invite submissions for the traditional conference, encouraging young folklorists to explore and redefine the theoretical frameworks that guide our discipline. This conference seeks to engage participants in a dialogue with “humble theory”, outlined by Dorothy Noyes (2016) as a theoretical and methodological approach, born in the “middle territory between grand theory and local interpretation”. Humble theory prioritizes folklore research’s ethnographic and practical aspects over grandiose theoretical constructs and focuses on studying the meanings driven by the vernacular. Addressing the anxieties and challenges folklorists’ face in positioning their work within broader academic and social contexts is equally important. Among many questions, we suggest addressing:

How can folklorists cultivate a theory that is rooted in practice and ethnography?

In what ways can humble theory help us navigate our disciplinary identity?

How might our historical and institutional contexts shape our theoretical aspirations and practices?

How does humble theory hold up in digital realms and realities shaped by algorithms and AI?

We welcome case studies that exemplify the application of humble theory in folkloristic practice, as well as original research findings and theoretical reflections on the issue. We also encourage papers that address our traditional topics, such as transmission, performance, and differentiation.

Cited: Noyes, Dorothy. 2016. Humble Theory: Folklore’s Grasp on Social Life. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.