Being There: New Perspectives on Phenomenology and the Analysis of Culture

A group of ethnologists and anthropologists demonstrate creative ways of relating phenomenology to the study of culture. In a detailed introduction the reader is given an overview of how perspectives like 'being' and 'life-world' can be applied to studies of everyday life. The historical background as well as the value of fieldwork and the importance of simply 'being there' are also presented. Seven scholars write-about diaspora, multiculturalism, xenophobia, and violence; about Nordic theme parks, European regionalism, and the celebration of national holidays. Experience, body, emotions, place, action and material culture are key concepts in this book. The authors show how culture can be understood from how it 'happens', more than what it 'is', how the world became filled with meanings rather than interpretations. The book is intended for a broad spectrum of readers within the fields of cultural and behavioural sciences. Contributors include Nils Gilje, professor of philosophy and cultural studies, Michael Jackson, renowned professor of anthropology, and Jonas Frykman, professor of ethnology.