Centre for Typological and Semiotic Folklore Studies: achievements, plans, perspectives

Abstract

The Centre for Typological and Semiotic Folklore Studies of the Russian State University for the Humanities was founded in 2003. The Centre conducts research in theoretical folklore studies and offers MA and PhD programs in folklore studies. Core areas of research performed by the Centre are the following: Research upon traditional and contemporary folklore from the structural, functional and communicative perspective; Investigation of mythological worldview in texts of oral cultures and of poetics of narrative genres; Historical and typological analysis of various oral traditions, research upon historical semantics of folklore and mythological motifs / plots / ritual practices and their local variants; Research upon historical correlations between oral and literary culture; Description of contemporary folklore and ritual traditions; Systematization and classification of folklore texts, which includes that performed with digital technologies. The Centre performs folklore and ethnographic expedition trips, holds research conferences and workshops with the involvement of scholars from Russia and worldwide, Summer Schools for aspiring researchers in folklore studies, sociolinguistics and cultural anthropology, publishes the “Tradition - text - folklore: typology and semiotics” book series. The results of the Centre’s work can be viewed at the Internet portal “Folklore and postfolklore: structure, typology, semiotics” (http://www.ruthenia.ru/folklore).