Living folklore : an introduction to the study of people and their traditions

344 Pages·2011·7.06 MB·English

by  Martha C Sims, Martine Stephens

Living Folklore
Living Folklore
An Introduction to the Study of People
and Their Traditions
Second Edition
Martha C. Sims
The Ohio State University
Martine Stephens
Ohio Wesleyan University
Utah State University Press
Logan, Utah
2011
Copyright ©2011 Utah State University Press
All rights reserved
Utah State University Press
Logan, Utah 84322-3078
www.usu.edu/usupress
Manufactured in the United States of America
Printed on recycled, acid-free paper
ISBN: 978-0-87421-844-2 (cloth)
ISBN: 978-0-87421-845-9 (e-book)
Second Edition, Revised
The Library of Congress has cataloged the frst edition as follows:
Sims, Martha C., 1963-
Living folklore : an introduction to the study of people and their traditions / Martha C. Sims,
Martine Stephens.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-87421-611-0 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Folklore—Methodology. 2. Folklore—Field work. 3. Folklore—Performance. 4. Manners and
customs. 5.
Rites and ceremonies. I. Stephens, Martine, 1959- II. Title.
GR45.S56 2005
398’.072—dc22
2005011837
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Preface xii
1 Folklore 1
What is Folklore? 1
A Working Defnition 1
Scholarly Defnitions of Folklore 8
Genres of Folklore 12
Defning Folklore Beyond Genre Labels: Texts and Contexts 18
A Brief History of Folklore Study 21
Conclusion 29
2 Groups 30
What is a Folk Group? 31
Defnitions 34
How Folk Groups Form 38
Self-Identifcation and Group Membership 42
Family, School, and Occupational Groups 46
Family 46
School Groups 49
Occupational Groups 52
Example: Folklore in Bounded Spaces 55
Groups and Belief 61
Example: Belief and Contemporary Legends 66
Conclusion 68
3 Tradition 69
What is Tradition? 69
Tradition is Both Lore and Process 70
Tradition Helps to Create and Confrm a Sense of Identity 71
Tradition is Identifed as Tradition by the Community 72
How do People Learn and Share Traditions? 73
Do Traditions Disappear? 79
Dynamic and Conservative Elements of Tradition 81
Inventing Tradition 87
The Question of Authenticity 89
Example: Traditions in Folk Art 92
Conclusion 97
4 Ritual 98
What is Ritual? 99
Low-Context and High-Context Rituals 102
Invented Ritual 104
The Question of Belief in Sacred and Secular Rituals 106
Liminality and Ritual Space 109
Types of Rituals 113
Rites of Passage 114
Coming-of-Age Rituals 117
Initiation Rituals 122
Naming Rituals 124
Example: Rituals and Private and Public Identity 124
Conclusion 128
5 Performance 130
What is Performance? 131
Example: A Proverbial Performance 132
The Study of Performance 136
Performance Texts 137
Texture 138
Context 139
Physical Context 141
Social Context 142
Recognizing Texts in Context: Performance Markers and Framing 144
Refexivity 146
Emergence 148
Folklore That Pushes the Boundaries 153
Aesthetics 158
Critic versus Group Consensus 163
Traditionality 164
Skill 164
Practicality 168
The Nature of Aesthetic Response 169
Personal Narrative in Performance 173
Example: A Personal Narrative Emerges 175
Conclusion 179
6 Approaches to Interpreting Folklore 180
Functions: Purposes, Roles, and Meanings 181
Example: Multiple Meanings in Context 183
Structure: Patterns, Themes, and Formal Relationships 184
Psychoanalytic Interpretations: Symbols and Metaphors 192
Social Dimensions: Texts and Performances in Complex Contexts 198
Conclusion 205
7 Fieldwork and Ethnography 206
Collecting Data: The Nuts and Bolts of Fieldwork 207
Finding Ideas 207
Getting Started on Fieldwork 209
Developing and Asking Good Questions 212
Field Notes 215
Transcribing and Transcripts 220
Returning from the Field: Follow-up Research 222
The People Factor: Interpersonal and Ethical Concerns 222
Insider and Outsider Roles 223
Observation and Participant-Observer Roles 224
Rapport: Creating and Understanding Researcher-Consultant
Relationships 225
Ethics 227
Reciprocal Ethnography 228
Example: Giving up the Last Word 230
Conclusion 231
8 Examples of Folklore Projects 232
One of the Guys (Joe Ringler) 233
Gay Rituals: Outing, Biking, and Sewing (Mickey Weems) 245
Roadside Memorials: Material Focus of Love, Devotion, and
Remembrance (Gary E. A. Saum) 255
nd
“Down on Main Street”: The 152 Bellville Street Fair and
Homecoming (Kevin Eyster) 270
Food for Thought: Power and Food in Hurston’s Their Eyes
Were Watching God (Emily Yu) 276
The Hookah Folk: Understanding Hookah Smokers as a Folk
Group (Joshua Smith) 285
9 Suggestions for Activities and Projects 300
Group and Classroom Activities 301
Personal Refection 302
Library Research 303
Fieldwork Projects 304
Integrated Projects—Bringing It All Together 305
Traditional Behavior 305
Changes in Groups and Traditions 305
Verbal Expressions 306
Legend Trips 306
Foodways 307
Notes 309
References 314
Index 322
Acknowledgments
They say it takes a village to raise a child—well, it takes practically a whole
dang planet to write a book about folklore. This book is the result of a collab-
orative effort that included many more people than just the two of us, and we
want to thank our friends, colleagues, families, collaborators, and consultants.
Pat Mullen, Amy Shuman, and Dan Barnes introduced us to the feld of folk-
lore and have provided much encouragement and support over the years (and
have also shared good ideas, conversation, companionship, parties, stories, and
jokes). We are particularly grateful to Pat Mullen, who read drafts of the frst
edition, asked tough questions, led us to important sources, and always put up
with our pestering. Without his ongoing support and input, this book wouldn’t
have been possible. The second edition of the book also beneftted from the
feedback and support of Dorothy Noyes.
Many thanks go to Cynthia Cox, who, through numerous conversations and
initial planning sessions, helped get the idea for this book off the ground and
onto the page.
Sincere thanks go out to all our readers, whose questions and comments
strengthened the fnal text. Sue V. Lape read just about everything, at just about
every stage, and provided invaluable feedback; Kevin Eyster read key chapter
drafts; and Jacki Spangler read the very frst draft of the introduction and pro-
vided practical and emotional support throughout this project. Others who
gave serious time and thought to the selections we asked them to read include
Erik Bakstrom, Christopher Hyde, Rachel Neeb, Laura Roberts, Gary E. A.
Saum, Katherine “Kd” Schuster, Tina Stall, Danny Tuss, and Ohio Wesleyan
University students from English 105 classes in Spring and Fall 2004.
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