Studied Slovenian language and literature and ethnology. Received his Master’s and doctor’s degree in ethnology at the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana. In 1982 he was employed at the Institute for Slovenian Ethnology. For some time he studied abroad, namely in 1985/86 as a DAAD scholar in Germany (in Munich and Tuebingen) and in a school year 1994/95 in the USA (Boston and Cambridge). He co-organized several international scientific councils and edited several books and other publications. He is co-editor in chief of journal Traditiones and editor of series Opera ethnologica Slovenica, and co-director of the course Intepretation und Verstehen at the Inter University Center Dubrovnik. He is a member of different international ethnological, sociological associations (SIEF, AFS, EASA, DGV, ISA, etc.) and a member of executive board of IASS-AIS (International Association for Semiotic Studies).

Most important fields of research are

History, theory and methodology - especially questions of qualitative research; ritual practices; village monographs; semiotics of culture.