13th Congress of the International Society for Folk Narrative Research

Presentation Abstracts

MARZOLPH, Ulrich

The Orient Within: reflections on the hybridity of narrative tradition

Parallel to the pdiscussions revalent in multicultural studies and intercultural relations, in recent years a smaller discussion focusing on the concept of ‘hybridity’ has developed. While multicultural studies often focus on topics of current and contemporary concern, discussions of hybridity focus on the general nature of cultural articulation. In this way, they contribute to creating awareness for common origins of cultural articulations presently experienced as different; moreover, they prove the ahistoric nature of any egocentric and exclusive attempts to define culture. One of the most fascinating areas of research into hybridity is the topic of the ‘other’ as a constituent of the self. In my paper, this topic is to be exemplified by focusing on the extent to which the Orient has contributed and still contributes to the narrative self-perception of non-Oriental cultural communities by such diverse phenomena as colonial perceptions, labour migration, expatriate communities or internet presentation.