Folklore, museums and identity politics in Spain: 1931 to present

ABSTRACT

Spain is a country with a vast folklore tradition characterized by deep regional contrasts. The role of folklore museums as a nationalizing tool of the central government and by regional governments (e.g. Catalan and Basque) to support a diversity of projects for identity construction requires renewed analysis. Examined here is the history of the Museo del Pueblo Español (MPE), a national folklore museum created during the Second Republic (1931–1939) to broadcast the wealth of folkloric tradition within the country. Currents of change in national politics during the 20^th century have re-oriented the MPE depending on the contrasting perspectives of Spanish identity that prevailed at different times in the past. In Catalonia and the Basque country, where identity claims have been repeatedly asserted since the 19^th century, folklore heritage and its representations were seen by nationalist political movements as useful platforms to support a message of ‘difference.’ We propose to use Tony Bennett’s concepts of the museum as an ‘exhibitionary complex’ and ‘governmental assemblages’ to further clarify the evolution of folklore museums and their role in the development of identity politics in Spain.

KEYWORDS:

• Folklore
• museums
• identity politics
• Spain

Acknowledgments

We are thankful to Dr.Thomas Killion, from the Wayne State University (Detroit, USA) for his help revising the final manuscript. The authors would also like to thank both the editor and the reviewers who took time to look over this paper, correcting our mistakes and offering valuable suggestions. Their comments have improved the article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Folklore studies in France also have been also referred to as ‘Arts et Traditions Populaires’.

2. www.lamoncloa.gob.es/consejodeministros/referencias/Paginas/2004/c2301040.aspx$MuseoTraje Accesed 24 August 2018.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the FEDER Program, under the project entitled “El patrimonio cultural y natural en tiempos de crisis. Retos, adaptaciones y estrategias en contextos locales” [CSO2015-68611-R]; Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the FEDER Program, under the project entitled “Patrimonio inmaterial y políticas culturales: desafíos sociales, políticos y museológicos”, which was funded by the [PGC2018-096190-B-I00].

Notes on contributors

Iñaki Arrieta Urtizberea

Iñaki Arrieta Urtizberea, is a PhD in Social and Cultural Anthropology. He works as a professor at the Department of Philosophy of Values and Social Anthropology at the University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU). Currently he is a main researcher in the European framed project ‘Pyrenes Net of Centers of Heritage and Rural Innovation’ (PATRIM+ 251/16), financed by POCTEFA-INTERREG-FEDER. He is also taking part as researcher in the projects ‘Cultural and natural heritage in times of crisis. Challenges, adaptations and strategies in local contexts’ (CSO2015-68,611-R) and ‘Intangible heritage and cultural policies: social, political and museological challenges’ (PGC2018-096190-B-I00), both directed by Dr. Xavier Roigé from the University of Barcelona and financed by the Spanish Government. Arrieta is also one of the investigators of the ‘Research Group of the Constructed Heritage’ (IT890-16), led by Dr. Agustín Azkarate and financed by the Basque Government. He is being involved in several publications related to the fields of museums and heritage in the Spanish context and is the main editor of a series of books published by the University of the Basque Country on heritage and museums, including some titles as: El patrimonio cultural en las sociedades líquidas, El género en el patrimonio cultural o Lugares de memoria traumática.

Joan Seguí

Joan Seguí is a PhD in Archaeology by the University of Leicester (UK) and has a Postgraduate Diploma in Engaged Anthropology by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UK). He has been working in the Museu Valencia d’Etnologia (Valencian Museum of Ethnology) in Valencia (Spain) for the last 18 years, directing the museum from 2008 to 2015. Currently, is in charge of the research area of the museum He has publish some articles related to museographic experiences in the context Valencian context and it is now a research member of the project ‘Intangible heritage and cultural policies: social, political and museological challenges’ (PGC2018-096190-B-I00), directed by Dr. Xavier Roigé and financed by the Government of Spain. Since 2014 he is also member of the Spanish ICOM committee.

Xavier Roigé

Xavier Roigé. Universitat de Barcelona. Doctor in Social and Cultural Anthropology. Professor of the Department of Social Anthropology and teaches subjects related to cultural heritage and Museology. Coordinator of the Master in Management of Cultural Heritage and Museology and of the Master in World Heritage and Development Projects. Vice-rector of Doctorate of the Universitat de Barcelona. His research deals with cultural heritage, museology, ethnological heritage, memory museums and intangible heritage. Principal Investigator of the projects “Cultural and natural heritage in times of crisis. Challenges, adaptations and strategies in local contexts “(CSO2015-68,611-R) and “Intangible heritage and cultural policies: social, political and museological challenges “(PGC2018-096190-B-I00), both financed by the Government of Spain. Director of the Research Group on Heritage Anthropology.