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Toward New Perspectives in Folklore
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More by Américo Paredes
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A clearer way to understand Toward New Perspectives in Folklore through themes, characters, and key ideas
This reading guide highlights what stands out in Toward New Perspectives in Folklore through 4 core themes. It is meant to help readers decide whether the book fits their taste and deepen the reading once they begin.
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What the book is doing
Américo Paredes and Richard Bauman's "Toward New Perspectives in Folklore" is a seminal anthology that fundamentally reshaped the field of folklore studies in the 1970s. Challenging traditional text-centric approaches, the collection of essays advocates for a performance-centered paradigm, emphasizing the dynamic, contextualized nature of folklore as an event rather than merely a static artifact. It argues for the crucial importance of ethnographic observation, the interaction between performer and audience, and the social functions of expressive culture. The book's profound influence lies in its shift towards understanding folklore as a communicative process deeply embedded in social life, moving beyond mere collection and classification.
Key Themes
Performance as Central to Folklore
This is the overarching theme, arguing that folklore is not merely a static 'item' but a dynamic 'event' or 'process' that unfolds in specific social interactions. The meaning and significance of folklore are produced in its enactment, through the interplay of performer, audience, and context.
The Crucial Role of Context
The book emphasizes that folklore cannot be understood in isolation. The social, cultural, historical, and physical contexts in which folklore is performed are integral to its meaning, interpretation, and function. Removing folklore from its context strips it of its vitality and significance.
“"Folklore is artistic communication in small groups." (Dan Ben-Amos, from his essay)”
How did 'Toward New Perspectives in Folklore' fundamentally change the study of folklore? What were the key shifts it advocated?
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