Mountain Cultures
Mountain Cultures Project
The project promotes research, publications, conferences, public talks, and social interventions, to investigate and discuss anthropological, historical, and geographical aspects of mountain people’ sociocultural environments, practices, and perspectves. It aims to reflect on the value of the comparative approach, collaborating with mountain studies scholars and, especially, with mountain people, all around the world.
Issues
Open Access Book – 2025 – Changing Mountain Communities
Changing Mountain Communities. Between Certainties and Uncertainties
Eds. Tobias Boos, Daniela Salvucci, Pier Paolo Viazzo, Roberta Clara Zanini
With contributions by Laura Bonato, Tobias Boos, Domenico Branca, Elena Cardano, Domenico Maria Costantini, Viviane Cretton, Elisabetta Dall’Ò, Franco Lai, Daniel Maciel, Sofia Marconi, Gabriele Orlandi, Daniela Salvucci, Árpád Töhötöm Szabó, Pier Paolo Viazzo, Sarah H. Whitaker, Roberta Clara Zanini.
Download the open access book following the Link
This book examines the complex transformations currently affecting mountain communities. Moving beyond simple narratives of modernization or decline, it highlights the diversity and contradictions displayed by the ways in which these communities experience change – moulded by ongoing negotiations over resources, sustainability, tourism, and heritage. The chapters show that certainties and uncertainties are deeply intertwined in mountain life, often shaping each other in unexpected ways. While climate change has become a certainty, social, economic, and political responses remain uncertain, requiring ongoing experimentation. This tension influences how communities construct identities and traditions, offering both comfort and new challenges as they navigate an unpredictable future. Through comparative, ethnographic, and anthropological case studies from Europe and South America, the book explores how people and their environments continuously fashion and transform one another amid ecological, economic, and cultural changes. It offers theoretical perspectives for understanding evolving identities, emotions, and the future of mountain societies.
Open Access Book – 2022 – Cultures in Mountain Areas
Cultures in Mountain Areas: Comparative Perspectives / Culture in aree di montagna: prospettive comparative / Kulturen in Gebirgsregionen: Vergleichende Perspektiven
Eds. Tobias Boos and Daniela Salvucci
With contributions from: Dionigi Albera, Denise Y. Arnold, Tobias Boos, Domenico Branca, Andreas Haller, Giovanni Kezich, Konrad J. Kuhn, Jon Mathieu, Daniela Salvucci, Pier Paolo Viazzo and Roberta Clara Zanini
Download the open access book following the Link
ENG: Comparative studies of mountain areas have long been at the core of the discussion about the relations between nature and culture as well as on environmental and social change. This volume searches for ways to develop further critical comparative perspectives in the study of cultures in mountain areas by drawing inter- and transdisciplinary links amongst anthropology, geography, folklore studies, montology, and global history. Drawing on examples mostly from the Alps and the Andes, but also extending to the global mountains, the authors explore socioecological environments, historical and political processes, borderscapes, demographic dynamics, forms of domestic organization, rituals, religiosities, and human-non-human-relations.
DE: Vergleichende Studien über Bergregionen stehen seit langem im Zentrum der Debatte über das Verhältnis zwischen Natur und Kultur sowie über den ökologischen und sozialen Wandel. Dieser Band sucht nach Wegen, kritische vergleichende Perspektiven in der Erforschung von Kulturen in Bergregionen weiterzuentwickeln, indem er inter- und transdisziplinäre Verbindungen zwischen Anthropologie, Geographie, Volkskunde, Montologie und (Welt-)Geschichte zieht. Anhand von Beispielen vor allem aus den Alpen und den Anden, aber auch aus anderen Gebirgsregionen der Welt, untersuchen die Autor*innen sozioökologische Umwelten, historische und politische Prozesse, Grenzlandschaften, demografische Dynamiken, Formen der häuslichen Organisation, Rituale, Religiosität und Mensch-Nicht-Mensch-Beziehungen.
IT: Gli studi comparativi sulle aree montane sono da tempo al centro del dibattito sul rapporto tra natura e cultura e sui cambiamenti ecologici e sociali. Questo volume è alla ricerca di nuovi percorsi per sviluppare ulteriormente prospettive comparative critiche per lo studio delle culture delle aree montane, tracciando collegamenti inter- e transdisciplinari tra antropologia, geografia, studi di folklore, montologia e storia globale. Basandosi su esempi provenienti soprattutto dalle Alpi e dalle Ande, ma estendendo l’orizzonte anche ad altre regioni montane a livello globale, le autrici e gli autori esplorano ambienti socio-ecologici, processi storici e politici, paesaggi di confine, dinamiche demografiche, forme di organizzazione domestica, rituali, religiosità e relazioni tra umani e non-umani.
Workshop 2023
Seminars series 2021
Cultures of Mountain Peoples in Comparative Perspective
Online*: May-July 2021
In presence**: September-December 2021
The series of seminars is organised by the Faculty of Education of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (unibz) and the MFEA-The Malinowski Forum for Ethnography and Anthropology (unibz), in collaboration with the Anthropological Association South Tyrol (EVAA) and the Museo degli Usi e Costumi della Gente Trentina, with the contribution of the Stiftung Südtiroler Sparkasse.
The seminar meetings explore the possibility of connecting the sociocultural experiences of inhabitants in different mountain areas, both from the Alpine region and from non-European regions. The invited speakers will present and discuss their research on anthropological, historical, and geographical aspects of the different cultures of mountain peoples, reflecting on the value of the comparative perspective and discussing these issues with the audience.
* The online seminars take place on zoom, the access link will be indicated in the information (INFO) about each individual seminar on the Program page.
** In-presence seminars are held at the Faculty of Education, Brixen/Bressanone, or in other sites indicated in the information (INFO) for each seminar on the Program page.
Ciclo di seminari
Culture dei popoli di montagna in prospettiva comparativa
Online*: Maggio-luglio 2021
In presenza**: Settembre-dicembre 2021
Il ciclo di seminari è organizzato dalla Facoltà di Scienze della Formazione della Libera Università di Bolzano (unibz) e dal MFEA-The Malinowski Forum for Ethnography and Anthropology (unibz), in collaborazione con l’Associazione Antropologica Alto Adige (EVAA) e il Museo degli Usi e Costumi della Gente Trentina, con il contributo della Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Bolzano.
Gli incontri seminariali esplorano la possibilità di mettere in relazione le esperienze socioculturali delle e degli abitanti di zone montane differenti, tanto dell’area alpina quanto di regioni extra-europee. Le relatrici e relatori invitati presenteranno e discuteranno le proprie ricerche sugli aspetti antropologici, storici e geografici delle diverse culture dei popoli di montagna riflettendo sul valore della prospettiva comparativa e discutendo questi temi con il pubblico.
* I seminari online si svolgono su zoom, il link di accesso sarà indicato nelle informazioni (INFO) relative ai singoli seminari alla pagina Programma.
** I seminari in presenza si tengono presso la Facoltà di Scienze della Formazione, Bressanone, o in altri siti indicati nelle informazioni su ogni seminario (INFO) alla pagina Programma.
Seminarreihe
Kulturen der Bergbewohner in vergleichender Perspektive
Online*: Mai-Juli 2021
In Anwesenheit**: September-Dezember 2021
Die Seminarreihe ist von der Fakultät für Bildungswissenschaften der Freien Universität Bozen (unibz) und dem MFEA-The Malinowski Forum for Ethnography and Anthropology (unibz) in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Ethnologischen Verein Südtirol (EVAA) und dem Museo degli Usi e Costumi della Gente Trentina, mit dem Beitrag der Stiftung Südtiroler Sparkasse organisiert.
Die Seminartreffen erforschen die Möglichkeit die soziokulturellen Erfahrungen von Bewohnern in verschiedenen Berggebieten, sowohl aus dem Alpenraum als auch aus außereuropäischen Regionen, miteinander zu verbinden. Die eingeladenen Referenten werden ihre Forschungen zu anthropologischen, historischen und geografischen Aspekten der verschiedenen Kulturen von Bergvölkern vorstellen und diskutieren, wobei sie über den Wert einer möglichen vergleichenden Perspektive nachdenken und mit dem Publikum erörtern.
*Die Online-Seminare finden auf Zoom statt, der Zugangslink wird in den Informationen (INFO) zu den einzelnen Seminaren auf der Programmseite angegeben.
**Die Präsenzseminare finden an der Fakultät für Bildungswissenschaften, Brixen, oder andere Seiten, die in den Informationen (INFO) auf der Programmseite der Website angegeben sind, statt.
