Description
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.
Table of Contents
PART I: BACKGROUND, THEORY, AND PRACTICE1. Introduction: Definition, Concepts, and Questions of Folklore and Folklife in a Diverse, Mobile Nation / Simon J. Bronner2. Historiography and Intellectual History of American Folklore and Folklife Studies / Jill Terry Rudy3. American Folk Ideas, Themes, and Worldview / Jay Mechling4. Methods and Tools of American Folklore and Folklife Studies / Anthony Bak Buccitelli5. Applications and Representations of the Uses of American Folklore and Folklife / Gregory HansenPART II: GENRES, PROCESSES, AND PRACTITIONERS6. American Folk Speech, Names, and Gestures / Charles Clay Doyle7. American Proverbs and Related Sayings / Wolfgang Mieder8. American Folk Poetry / Elizabeth Tucker9. American Storytelling, Myths, and Tales / Frank de Caro10. American Jokes, Pranks, and Humor / Moira Marsh11. American Legends, Anecdotes, and Personal Narratives / Elizabeth Tucker12. American Custom, Ritual, and Holidays / Jack Santino13. American Folk Drama and Festival / Lisa Gabbert14. American Folk Music, Folk Songs, and Ballads / Stephen D. Winick15. American Folk Dance and Movement / Eric César Morales16. Play, Game, and Sport in American Folklore and Folklife / Fernando Orejuela17. American Folk Buildings, Constructions, and Landscapes / Simon J. Bronner18. American Folk Art and Crafts / C. Kurt Dewhurst and Marsha MacDowell19. American Gravemarkes and Memorial Assemblages / Holly Everett20. American Bodylore and Folk Dress / Amy K. Milligan21. American Food, Foodways, and Eating / Lucy M. Long22. American Folk Medicine and Health Practices / Andrea KittaPART III: SETTINGS, CONTEXTS, AND INSTITUTIONS23. Regions, Borders, and Nation in American Folklore and Folklife / Simon J. Bronner24. Farm, Town, and Country in American Folklore and Folklife / R. Troy Boyer25. American Urban, Suburban, and Metropolitan Folklore and Folklife / David J. Puglia26. Waters, Islands, and Shores in American Folklore and Folklife / Shelly Drummond27. Internet and Media in American Folklore and Folklife / David J. Puglia28. Home and Vehicle in American Folklore and Folklife / Cory Thomas Hutcheson29. Schools and Colleges in American Folklore and Folklife / Simon J. Bronner30. Total Institutions: Camps, Boarding Schools, Military Bases, Hospitals, and Prisons in American Folklore and Folklife / Jay MechlingPART IV: GROUPS, NETWORKS, AND COMMUNITIES31. Folklore and Folklife in Native and Indigenous America / Tom Mould32. African American Folklore, Folklife, and Race / Anand Prahlad33. Asian American Folklore and Folklife / Fariha Khan34. Folklore and Folklife of Latinx America / Norma E. Cantú35. Folklore and Folklife of European Americans / Anthony Bak Buccitelli and Cory Thomas Hutcheson36. Folklore and Folklife of American Religious and Other Belief-Based Communities / William M. Clements37. American Occupational Folklife: Work, Workers, and Workscapes / Nancy Groce38. Folklore and Folklife of American Age Groups and Aging / Mary Sellers39. Folklore and Folklife of American Family and Friends / Caren Neile40. Folklore and Folklife of American Organizations and Networks / Simon J. Bronner41. Folklore and Folklife of Women, Men, and Other Gendered Identities / Lisa Gilman42. Folklore and Folklife of American LGBTQIA+ Communities and Queer Culture / James Tyler Chadwell and Simon J. Bronner43. Folklore and Folklife of Body, Neurodiverse, and Ability-Centered American Identities / Sheila BockIndex
