Aleysia Whitmore wins fellowship to conduct research in Paris
Aleysia Whitmore, Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology
Aleysia Whitmore, Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology at DU's Lamont School of Music, has been awarded a fellowship to complete fieldwork in Paris this Fall. The fellowship, from the Fondation Maison des sciences de l’homme, is awarded to up to 60 applicants each year through the Associate Directors of Studies (DEA) program.
The purpose of the program is to invite scientists from all continents for a period of four to six weeks in order to support their work in the field of social sciences and humanities in France, as well as the creation of international research networks and contacts with local researchers.
Whitmore's planned topic is "Sounds of a Porte Ouverte: Music, Policy, and Cultural Diversity in Southern France." This research project will analyze how musicians, arts administrators, civil servants, and politicians negotiate cultural policies as they engage with diverse music cultures in and around Marseille in the 2010s and 2020s. In so doing, Whitmore will shed light on broader issues of cultural diversity and national identity in the context of the Mediterranean migrant crisis, growing xenophobia, and increasing concerns about cultural integration.
Whitmore plans to conduct interviews with policy and music industry contacts in Paris and Marseille. The interviews will follow previous fieldwork that she completed in 2018 and 2019, and will support her forthcoming book on this topic.
Says Whitmore regarding her research, "The book will appeal to academic and non-academic audiences. For researchers in ethnomusicology, anthropology, and cultural policy, I offer a novel ethnographic approach to the study of music and policy and an original perspective on how music, policy, and cultural diversity intersect. For those working in non-profits, businesses, and governments, I provide insight into the complex systems within which they operate."
Click here to learn more about Aleysia Whitmore.
