The essays are written in the context of the so-called tribal areas of the north-eastern region of India. The base data in most cases have however been collected from Meghalaya, the Khasi-Jaintia Hills in particular, my primary research universe. However, the ethnic groups living in the mountainous terrain of India’s north-east, show a characteristic unity, despite linguistic and cultural diversities, that of being in a state of social format called ‘tribal’ facing similar problems of static life, economy and under-development. Added to this are the tensions generated in recent years when education and some waves of development reached the region and tribal self-governing states in the Indian Union came in to being. Consequently, new issues have come into the fore–the issues relating to self-assertion, retention of the age-old cultural identity, the crisis of adjustment between tradition and modernity, and above all, the tensions of a change-over from the tranquil folklife to modern hurly-burly including those of the fast moving world in the days of globalization. Consequently, there also appeared a concern with folklore, the search for a ‘lore’ of essential core, to write a new history. Khasi Jaintia Oral Texts Folklore and Development Antithetic NorthEast India Mentalities,The Folklife and the Socio Psychologial Issues of Development Identity Narrative, Ritual and Historical Jaintia Religion and Identity Khasi Orality Khasi-Jaintia Genre of Folklore The Nongkrem Dances of Khasi Meghalaya Hills, Dales and Groves Folk, Court, Popular Hermeneutics of Religious Practices Verrier Elwin North-East Frontier

DIVAnalyzes the key role that the production of "folkloric" music, dance, and drama has had in the formation of ethnic/racial identities, regionalism, and nationalism in Cuzco, Peru during the twentieth century./div

" Essays by thirteen folklorists explore applications in such areas as museums, aiding the homeless, environmental planning, art therapy, designing public spaces, organizing development, tourism, the public sector, aging, and creating an occupation's image."

The Oxford Handbook of American Folklore and Folklife Studies surveys the materials, approaches, concepts, and applications of the field to provide a sweeping guide to American folklore and folklife, culture, history, and society. Forty-three comprehensive and diverse chapters delve into significant themes and methods of folklore and folklife study; established expressions and activities; spheres and locations of folkloric action; and shared cultures and common identities. Beyond the longstanding arenas of academic focus developed throughout the 350-year legacy of folklore and folklife study, contributors at the forefront of the field also explore exciting new areas of attention that have emerged in the twenty-first century such as the Internet, bodylore, folklore of organizations and networks, sexual orientation, neurodiverse identities, and disability groups. Encompassing a wide range of cultural traditions in the United States, from bits of slang in private conversations to massive public demonstrations, ancient beliefs to contemporary viral memes, and a simple handshake greeting to group festivals, these chapters consider the meanings in oral, social, and material genres of dance, ritual, drama, play, speech, song, and story while drawing attention to tradition-centered communities such as the Amish and Hasidim, occupational groups and their workaday worlds, and children and other age groups. Weaving together such varied and manifest traditions, this handbook pays significant attention to the cultural diversity and changing national boundaries that have always been distinctive in the American experience, reflecting on the relative youth of the nation; global connections of customs brought by immigrants; mobility of residents and their relation to an indigenous, urbanized, and racialized population; and a varied landscape and settlement pattern. Edited by leading folklore scholar Simon J. Bronner, this handbook celebrates the extraordinary richness of the American social and cultural fabric, offering a valuable resource not only for scholars and students of American studies, but also for the global study of tradition, folk arts, and cultural practice.

One of the most comprehensive and widely praised introductions to folklore ever written. Toelken's discussion of the history and meaning of folklore is delivered in straightforward language, easily understood definitions, and a wealth of insightful and entertaining examples. Toelken emphasizes dynamism and variety in the vast array of folk expressions he examines, from "the biology of folklore," to occupational and ethnic lore, food ways, holidays, personal experience narratives, ballads, myths, proverbs, jokes, crafts, and others. Chapters are followed by bibliographical essays, and over 100 photographs illustrate the text. This new edition is accessible to all levels of folklore study and an essential text for classroom instruction.

Though assorted, the essays in this book display an element of unity. Written, to read in seminars and conferences, and publish in journals and volumes, during past five-six years mostly, these essays traverse a few hither to unchartered areas of Indian folklorography. Tradition has been viewed in the perspective of social dynamics as a ‘transitive series with seals of forms’ in different phases of history, determining the analytical categories we use in the spaces of countering cultures. Orality, a dominant marker of folklore in its conventional, stereotype, assessment and concept, is seen in the problematic of inter-textuality between the oral and the written. Likewise, folklore, treated as rural constructs only in terms of nineteenth century perception, has been reviewed and revisited, to find that it contains fairly strong urban ingredients. Urbanity, which was viewed as a threat to the authenticity of folklore, till the mid-fifties of the last century, is perceived in the new and currently prevailing trends in folklorography, as a distinct space for the growth of challenging and equally strong folk discourses. Development processes of urbanization, even mega-urbanization, and folklore are not antithetic.

The essays of Alan Dundes virtually created the meaning of folklore as an American academic discipline. Yet many of them went quickly out of print after their initial publication in far-flung journals. Brought together for the first time in this volume compiled and edited by Simon Bronner, the selection surveys Dundes's major ideas and emphases, and is introduced by Bronner with a thorough analysis of Dundes's long career, his interpretations, and his inestimable contribution to folklore studies. Runner-up, the Wayland Hand Award for Folklore and History, 2009

Following Tradition is an expansive examination of the history of tradition—"one of the most common as well as most contested terms in English language usage"—in Americans' thinking and discourse about culture. Tradition in use becomes problematic because of "its multiple meanings and its conceptual softness." As a term and a concept, it has been important in the development of all scholarly fields that study American culture. Folklore, history, American studies, anthropology, cultural studies, and others assign different value and meaning to tradition. It is a frequent point of reference in popular discourse concerning everything from politics to lifestyles to sports and entertainment. Politicians and social advocates appeal to it as prima facie evidence of the worth of their causes. Entertainment and other media mass produce it, or at least a facsimile of it. In a society that frequently seeks to reinvent itself, tradition as a cultural anchor to be reverenced or rejected is an essential, if elusive, concept. Simon Bronner's wide net captures the historical, rhetorical, philosophical, and psychological dimensions of tradition. As he notes, he has written a book "about an American tradition—arguing about it." His elucidation of those arguments makes fascinating and thoughtful reading. An essential text for folklorists, Following Tradition will be a valuable reference as well for historians and anthropologists; students of American studies, popular culture, and cultural studies; and anyone interested in the continuing place of tradition in American culture.

Living Folklore is a comprehensive, straightforward introduction to folklore as it is lived, shared and practiced in contemporary settings. Drawing on examples from diverse American groups and experiences, this text gives the student a strong foundation—from the field's history and major terms to theories and interpretive approaches. Living Folklore moves beyond genres and classifications, and encourages students who are new to the field to see the study of folklore as a unique approach to understanding people, communities, and day-to-day artistic communication. This revised edition incorporates new examples, research, and theory along with added discussion of digital and online folklore.