Western scholar delivers lecture on folklore at Tetso College

DIMAPUR — Associate professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work, at New Jersey City University (NJCU), USA, Dr. William Westerman, delivered a lecture on ‘A sociological approach to folklore as a discourse on power: three propositions’ at Testo College, Chümoukedima, on May 22.

The lecture was attended by graduate students and faculty members of the college, an update stated.

Dr. Westerman, presently a Fulbright-Nehru scholar at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, discussed the discipline of folklore studies and how this discipline has historically been divided between literary and anthropological approaches.

He discoursed on folklore through a sociological lens, looking at how power, exclusion, community and cultural capital are negotiated through unofficial and informal yet aesthetic or folklore expression.

The scholar went in-depth on the political implications of folklore in real life practices and how our choices in everyday life practices are actually a reflection of our society.

Westerman also went on to discuss how folklore can be seen as materials for building group solidarity and identity. In this sense, folklore in its cultural context can be seen as a way of exploring how these narratives and practices function within the communities that create and maintain them, he said.

The lecture highlighted folklore as a living tradition, an integral part and parcel to the social practices, rituals, and everyday lives of people.

“This event marks the culmination of a fruitful year of substantial research activities and achievements by the college and its faculties. It underscores the college’s commitment to advancing research across diverse academic fields and its aim to foster a research-intensive environment. This initiative is further strengthened through collaborations with various universities both nationally and internationally,” the update stated.

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