Periodic Reporting for period 1 - WiseWomen (Wise Women: Beliefs and Networks of Female Spiritual Figures in Central European Vernacular Religion)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2020-05-04 do 2022-05-03
The Action looks to describe and understand the feminine aspects of spirituality, including magical practices, esoteric phenomena, and religious belief. To highlight these processes from the women’s perspective a specific actor of contemporary religion is put in the centre of attention: the wise woman. Present day wise women of urban and rural communities are experts of magic, religion and healing. Many of them also take up religious roles, such as prophetesses or priestesses. With the New Age vogue of alternative medicine, new religious movements, and alternative spiritualities their popularity is emerging.
The Fellow conducting this research is particularly interested in 1) the roles that women take as religious actors, 2) the processes how women’s individual beliefs are created, 3) the way how women’s religious experience is born, expressed, and negotiated. To gain a deeper insight on these topics, the Fellow studies various types of present-day wise women in both urban and rural communities of Southwestern Hungary and Slovenia. She also seeks to find out, how wise women’s new-type, internet-based, globalized knowledge is produced, disseminated, and received.
This research is socially relevant because female spirituality is rapidly evolving in contemporary Central European societies. Women’s spiritual communities contribute their social and psychological well-being and shape their attitudes towards physical and mental health issues. Women's expertise in present-day alternative and complementary medicine proves to be a rich repository that can be exploited by public health policy making.
Objectives of this MSCA were 1) to chart historical source material and compile an inventory of wise women from the late medieval / early modern period up to the modern era; 2) to explore the social and virtual arenas where local and global ideas meet and are negotiated by internet ethnography; (3) to investigate present-day wise women’s religious ideas and activities, such as spiritual healing, afterlife belief, and ritual performances at sacred places by ethnographic research.
The Action provided a deeper insight on the various roles that women may take in the field of religion. It explored how new religious movements encourage women’s religious creativity, provide them with religious agency and social power in contemporary Central Europe. Healing as one of the central fields of investigation proved to be a highly relevant choice during and after the pandemic. The ethnographic study of individual experts of healing and communities facilitating women’s social and physical well-being during the pandemic revealed women’s reactions, attitudes and strategies while coping the situation.
The Fellow conducting this research is particularly interested in 1) the roles that women take as religious actors, 2) the processes how women’s individual beliefs are created, 3) the way how women’s religious experience is born, expressed, and negotiated. To gain a deeper insight on these topics, the Fellow studies various types of present-day wise women in both urban and rural communities of Southwestern Hungary and Slovenia. She also seeks to find out, how wise women’s new-type, internet-based, globalized knowledge is produced, disseminated, and received.
This research is socially relevant because female spirituality is rapidly evolving in contemporary Central European societies. Women’s spiritual communities contribute their social and psychological well-being and shape their attitudes towards physical and mental health issues. Women's expertise in present-day alternative and complementary medicine proves to be a rich repository that can be exploited by public health policy making.
Objectives of this MSCA were 1) to chart historical source material and compile an inventory of wise women from the late medieval / early modern period up to the modern era; 2) to explore the social and virtual arenas where local and global ideas meet and are negotiated by internet ethnography; (3) to investigate present-day wise women’s religious ideas and activities, such as spiritual healing, afterlife belief, and ritual performances at sacred places by ethnographic research.
The Action provided a deeper insight on the various roles that women may take in the field of religion. It explored how new religious movements encourage women’s religious creativity, provide them with religious agency and social power in contemporary Central Europe. Healing as one of the central fields of investigation proved to be a highly relevant choice during and after the pandemic. The ethnographic study of individual experts of healing and communities facilitating women’s social and physical well-being during the pandemic revealed women’s reactions, attitudes and strategies while coping the situation.
Work was conducted via 5 work packages (WPs). As he Fellow intended to restart her career after a longer period, in WP1 a detailed research and time management plan, and a Career Development Plan were prepared. WP2 was dedicated to archival and historical research, and the Fellow compiled an inventory of wise women in the early modern and the modern period. To date, the Fellow not only published 1 research article, but has delivered 4 conference presentations. She has an additional 2 research publications underway. In WP3 the Fellow conducted multi-site ethnographic fieldwork in Hungary and Slovenia. She completed it with online ethnographic research. To date, data analysis yielded 4 presentations at major international conferences, 2 papers delivered at international workshops, 2 journal articles accepted for publication, and 2 manuscripts underway. In WP4, which aimed at further research articles on the findings of investigations carried out in WP2 and WP3, the Fellow lead the development of a special focus journal (forthcoming in 2022). The publication of 3 further manuscripts is underway. In WP5, for communicating research and disseminate the findings, the Fellow launched her personal project website and regularly shared her achievements in social media. For academic audience, the Fellow presented her research findings in online lectures (ISFNR Belief Narrative Network, World Anthropology Day 2021, University of Pécs, Hungary). She also co-organized an international conference on vernacular experts of magic and healing in Europe at the University of Ljubljana. To transfer of knowledge, she presented her relevant research results by co-teaching courses with her mentor at the University of Ljubljana. During the grant she applied for the title of research associate in Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Ljubljana. She was appointed the chair of the ISFNR Belief Narrative Network committee.
Results of this MSCA are reported in 1) forthcoming papers on the history vernacular female experts of magic and medicine in early modern Central Europe, 2) forthcoming synthetic study on the results of 20th century sociology and ethnography on wise women, 3) forthcoming papers (case studies) drawn on the Fellows fieldwork, 4) a forthcoming paper on a women’s circle which confronts the results of the online survey and fieldwork findings, 5) a research monograph on wise women in Central Europe.
Results of this MSCA are reported in 1) forthcoming papers on the history vernacular female experts of magic and medicine in early modern Central Europe, 2) forthcoming synthetic study on the results of 20th century sociology and ethnography on wise women, 3) forthcoming papers (case studies) drawn on the Fellows fieldwork, 4) a forthcoming paper on a women’s circle which confronts the results of the online survey and fieldwork findings, 5) a research monograph on wise women in Central Europe.
The expected final result of this Action is to gain a deeper insight on the various roles that women may take in the field of religion by studying their religious experiences and expressions. The research project therefore explored how new religious movements encourage women’s religious creativity and provide them with religious agency and social power in contemporary Central Europe. It made clear that wise women are able to promote gender equality rather effectively among their communities. Taking a closer look at women’s circles showed how the “women only spaces” contribute to women’s social and psychological well-being and how they shape women’s attitudes towards physical and mental health issues. Choosing health and healing as one of the central fields of investigation proved to be a highly relevant choice during and after the pandemic. The ethnographic study of individual experts of spiritual healing and communities facilitating women’s social and physical well-being in the COVID-19 revealed women’s reactions, attitudes and strategies while coping a pandemic situation. The Action proved, that women’s expertise both in present-day alternative and complementary medicine and in religious affairs is worth considering and can be successfully exploited by public health policy making.
This MSCA allowed the fellow to develop new research skills that enabled her to successfully adapt to the unexpected pandemic situation. Furthermore, it paved the road to a proper reintegration in academic life after a longer career break. During the grant she applied for the title of research associate in Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana. Her application is supported by the Fellow’s mentor. The application is in progress.
The grant also enabled successful networking and communication on her research, which resulted in the Fellow’s being elected the chair of the ISFNR Belief Narrative Network committee in 2021.
The inspiring working and expert environment not only supported the Fellow with immediate feedback on her research findings but also anticipated further collaboration in her future research. After her successful habilitation at the University of Ljubljana, that Fellow intends to apply for an ERC Starting Grant in 2023.
This MSCA allowed the fellow to develop new research skills that enabled her to successfully adapt to the unexpected pandemic situation. Furthermore, it paved the road to a proper reintegration in academic life after a longer career break. During the grant she applied for the title of research associate in Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana. Her application is supported by the Fellow’s mentor. The application is in progress.
The grant also enabled successful networking and communication on her research, which resulted in the Fellow’s being elected the chair of the ISFNR Belief Narrative Network committee in 2021.
The inspiring working and expert environment not only supported the Fellow with immediate feedback on her research findings but also anticipated further collaboration in her future research. After her successful habilitation at the University of Ljubljana, that Fellow intends to apply for an ERC Starting Grant in 2023.