Kulturhistorie

Kulturhistorie, or cultural history, is a field of study that investigates how cultures develop, express themselves, and change over time. It treats culture as a lived phenomenon that includes beliefs, practices, artefacts, institutions, and representations, rather than as abstract ideas alone. The discipline asks how cultural meanings arise from interactions among factors such as class, gender, religion, politics, economy, and technology.

The approaches of kulturhistorie are interdisciplinary. They combine analysis of material culture (artefacts, architecture, landscapes) with textual sources, art, music, folklore, and media. Methods span archaeology, ethnology, anthropology, history, and cultural studies, often incorporating fieldwork, archival research, and comparative analysis. Digital humanities and museology also play increasing roles in interpreting and presenting cultural heritage.

Scope and topics are wide, covering ancient to modern societies, local communities, diasporas, and transnational exchanges. Core subjects include religion and rites, daily life and material culture, language and symbolism, consumption and fashion, education and institutions, media and popular culture, and processes of heritage-making and memorialization. The field frequently addresses how cultural identities are formed, contested, and remembered, as well as how culture interacts with power and social change.

In Scandinavia, kulturhistorie is an established area within history, anthropology, and museology, often linked to national heritage and the study of everyday life to illuminate broader societal transformations.