Collaboration in Ethnomusicology

Collaboration with people in field research is a topic that has been debated in ethnomusicology since its start. The late 20th century brought the inherent power dynamics in research relationships to the focus of ethnomusicological reflection: The so-called cultural turn and the “crisis of representation,” as well as global feminist criticism, have brought structural inequalities and global power imbalances into the scientific spotlight—in particular, the question of who speaks about whom or is heard in the academic world. Against the backdrop of existing global inequalities, and structural discrimination, which can be traced back to the colonial past and are also reflected in academic practice, reflexive approaches to collaboration with people in the field are a necessary component of any ethnomusicological research. This reflection takes place both in the courses at our institute and in the various research projects.

In addition, the possibility of participation of and collaboration with musicians in ethnomusicological research is currently being explored in the project “Reverse Ethnomusicology: Migrant Musicians as Researchers” (2023–2026) (funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, TAI724).