About Us

The subject of Popular Culture Studies examines everyday life and seemingly self-evident situations as well as popular texts in different media forms. The subject is also called European Ethnology, Cultural Anthropology, Empirical Cultural Studies or Folklore Studies at other universities.

The interdisciplinary subject is located at the intersection of humanities and social sciences, combining ethnographical, textual, media-analytical and archival-historical methods.

The study contributes to the understanding of cultural and social phenomena and conflicts. It enables practice-oriented applications and cultural, literary and media-analytical thinking and work. Proven working fields are found in the media, in publishing and libraries, in cultural management, in foundations, in museum work and exhibition practice, in adult education and organisation culture, in public and private social, migrant and cultural work, in urban and settlement planning, and in tourism.

The subject of Popular Cultures Studies in Zürich is characterised by its two areas of the culture of everyday life and popular literature and media. This link between cultural research of everyday life and popular literature and media is unique in the German-speaking world.