Benjamin Gatling

Benjamin Gatling is an Associate Professor in the English Department at George Mason University. He specializes in folklore studies with a focus on oral traditions, performance, and cultural heritage in Central Asia and the Middle East. Gatling holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures from The Ohio State University and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to his current role, he lectured at Duke University’s Thompson Writing Program.

His research explores narrative forms, Sufi cultural expressions, and refugee experiences, supported by NEH, IREX, and Fulbright fellowships. He edits Folklorica: the Journal of the Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Folklore Association. Key publications include Expressions of Sufi Culture in Tajikistan (2018) and studies on migration narratives and Tajik pilgrimage practices.

• Education:
• Ph.D. and M.A. in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, The Ohio State University
• B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Research interests span Persianate oral traditions, Islam in Central Asia, and the ethnography of communication. His work bridges folklore theory with contemporary socio-political issues like refugee storytelling and heritage politics. Courses taught include Folklore Theory, Ethnography of Communication, and Central Asian cultural studies.

• Awards:
• NEH Fellowship
• IREX Fellowship
• Fulbright Program Fellowship

Recent scholarship emphasizes narrative’s role in activism and policy, cultural continuity in post-Soviet contexts, and the intersection of tourism with sacred practices in Tajikistan. His interdisciplinary approach integrates ethnography, textual analysis, and oral history methodologies.