Två spår

Abstract

Two Tracks

In this article two tracks are suggested for European Ethnology in Sweden in the future. The first is to concentrate on what could be called “bibliometrical tactics”. These tactics are characterized by efforts to optimize the ranking of both the discipline and individual researchers within the research community. One part of these tactics could be to make all publications easy to access electronically. Another part is to make the communication among scholars of ethnology more intensive.

The other track suggested is called “ethnographical experiments”. In order to prevent ethnology from being to narrowly focused on merely quantity and volume of international publications it is important to develop and be innovative when it comes to research methods. One way is to use what is often considered to be the discipline’s “centrifugal character”. In experiments with ethnography it could be fruitful to collaborate with other practices that could be coupled with the ethnological research. Examples of such collaborators are artists or designers.

These two tracks should preferably merge in various ways. All in order to enhance ethnology’s competitive potential within the academic world and also to be an innovative practice that dare to develop new bold methods and collaborations.