Folklore LIbrarian
Best Bets for Folklore Library Research
As far as we know, the Indiana University Folklore Collection is the largest, most comprehensive library collection in the world for folklore, ethnomusicology, and related fields. Use IUCAT, our library catalog to explore our holdings, including folklore texts, scholarly analysis, indexes, and reference tools.
- MLA International Bibliography
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THE MLAIB is your best bet to find books and articles on every aspect of folklore--not just ballads and tales, but also music, dance, folklife, folk belief, and material culture. In other words, everything. For specialized indexes in folklore and ethnomusicology, see tabs to the left.
When you are getting started on a research project, encyclopedias and reference handbooks give you an overview of the topic, current questions, and suggestions for further reading. Here are just a few sources I recommend. Browse IUCAT for more online encyclopedias and handbooks on folklore (all are ebooks accessible to members of the IU-Bloomington campus). For even more reference works, visit the virtual folklore reference collection in the tabs to the left.
The Oxford Handbook of American Folklore and Folklife Studies by
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 intosignificant 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 andfolklife 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 theirrelation 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, andcultural practice.
Call Number: GR105.O83 2019ISBN: 9780190840617Publication Date: 2019
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of World Folklore and Folklife by
There is no better way for students to learn about cultural diversity than to study the folklore and folkways of different ethnic groups. The work of over 200 expert contributors, this massive encyclopedia authoritatively and engagingly surveys folklife and traditions from around the world. Each of the four volumes covers the countries and cultural groups of a particular continent or geographical region, and the first volume also includes 39 topics and themes central to world folklore. Each of the more than 170 culture or country entries explores the background, belief system, oral and theatrical traditions, material culture, and contemporary concerns of a particular culture. Each concludes with an extended list of further readings. A generous selection of maps and illustrations makes this encyclopedia especially attractive to students and general readers. China . . . Malta . . . Madagascar . . . Wales . . . and Texas: these are among the many exotic, distant lands that capture our minds and imaginations. In an era of increasing globalization, students, general readers, and business professionals need to know about the world and its varied ways. So too, a knowledge of world cultures is fundamental to an understanding of America's ethnically rich society. Folklore isn't just about the long ago and far away. It's about the here and now, and there's no better way to learn about cultural diversity than to study the folklore and folkways of different ethnic groups. More than just Cinderella and other fairy tales, folklore encompasses the whole realm of traditional beliefs and activities that define a culture. The most comprehensive work of its kind, this massive encyclopedia engagingly and authoritatively surveys folklife and traditions from around the world. Through its vast scope and lengthy entries, it transcends other references on particular national or regional folklores and is the most ambitious undertaking of its type. Organized in four volumes, the encyclopedia provides convenient access to information about folklore generally and to the traditions of particular regions: Along with the expertise of the contributors, of Volume Editor William M. Clements, and of Advisory Editor Thomas A. Green, the encyclopedia draws upon a distinguished board of internationally recognized scholars, including: Roger D. Abrahams, Cristina Bacchilega, Gillian Bennett, Mary Ellen Brown, James R. Dow, Alessandro Falassi, Barbro Klein, Peter Knecht, Natalie Kononenko, Frances M. Malpezzi, Margaret Mills, M. D. Muthukumaraswamy, Gerald Pocius, and John S. Ryan. Because folklore is the essence of daily life, this encyclopedia addresses the curriculum needs of high school students and is also an indispensable resource for teachers. In addition, anyone researching folklore in a public library will find this the first place to look for detailed information about cultural traditions around the world.
Call Number: GR35 .G75 2006ISBN: 0313328471Publication Date: 2005
Folklore by
Written by an international team of acclaimed folklorists, this reference text provides a cross-cultural survey of the major types and methods of inquiry in folklore. * Contains contributions from major scholars such as David Leeming, Linda Degh, and Dan Ben-Amos * Numerous photographs bring the subject material to life * More than 300 entries, each concluding with a bibliography of references * Over 50 sidebars provide biographical information on major folklore collectors and scholars
Call Number: onlineISBN: 9781598842425Publication Date: 2011
African American Folklore by
African American folklore dates back 240 years and has had a significant impact on American culture from the slavery period to the modern day. This encyclopedia provides accessible entries on key elements of this long history, including folklore originally derived from African cultures that have survived here and those that originated in the United States. * Offers the most comprehensive compilation of resources on African American folklore, in the forms of bibliographical citations, lists of websites, and lists of cultural centers * Demonstrates the importance of black folklore to the development of American culture * Contains a unique collection of entries on black folk traditions * Documents the historical, aesthetic influence of African culture on African American folklore
Call Number: GR111.A47 A35 2016ISBN: 9781610699303Publication Date: 2016
Encyclopedia of Women's Folklore and Folklife by
From the stone age to the cyber age, women and men have experienced the world differently. Out of a cosmos of goddesses and she-devils, earth mothers and madonnas, witches and queens, saints and whores, a vast body of women's folklore has come into bloom. International in scope and drawing on more than 130 expert contributors, this encyclopedia reviews the myths, traditions, and beliefs central to women's daily lives. More than 260 alphabetically arranged entries cover the lore of women across time, space, and life. Students of history, religion and spirituality, healing and traditional medicine, literature, and world cultures will value this encyclopedia as an indispensable guide to women's folklore. In addition, there are entries on women's folklore and folklife in 15 regions of the world, such as the Caribbean, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Western Europe. Entries provide cross-references and cite works for further reading, and the encyclopedia closes with a selected bibliography of print and electronic resources. Students learning about history, world cultures, religion and spirituality, healing and traditional medicine, and literature will welcome this companion to the daily life of women across time and continents. Four substantial overview essays survey the present state of scholarship on women's folklore and folklife around the world More than 260 alphabetically arranged entries written by more than 130 expert contributors discuss a wide range of topics related to women's folklore and folklife An alphabetical list of entries provides easy access to the contents of the encyclopedia A guide to related topics groups entries in broad categories to help readers find related terms Entry bibliographies list works for further reading. A selected bibliography lists the most important general print and electronic resources on women's folklore and folklife.
Call Number: OnlineISBN: 9780313340505Publication Date: 2009
Folklore, Cultural Performances, and Popular Entertainments by
This collection of thirty-seven entries focuses on expressive forms and practices that are popular and participatory in nature: folklore forms such as folktale and riddle; cultural performances suchas ritual and festival; and popular entertainments such as puppetry and mime. Cross-references within each individual entry facilitate exploration within the volume, while bibliographies appended to each entry direct the reader to related literature. Covering basic concepts, analytial perspectives, communicative media, expressive genres, and complex performance events, this concise yet comprehensive book is a handy reference for those interested in folklore and its growing role in drama, anthropology, and cultural studies.
Call Number: GR35.F64 1992ISBN: 019506920XPublication Date: 1992
Encyclopedia of Urban Legends, Updated and Expanded Edition by
This revised edition of the original reference standard for urban legends provides an updated anthology of common myths and stories, and presents expanded coverage of international legends and tales shared and popularized online. * Approximately 300 individual entries for specific urban legends * An introduction provides a brief history of urban legend research * A selected bibliography and reference citations
Call Number: OnlineISBN: 9781598847215Publication Date: 2012
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Folktales and Fairy Tales by Call Number: OnlineISBN: 9780313049477Publication Date: 2008
Folklore studies began at Indiana University under Stith Thompson in the 1920s. Professor Thompson supervised many MA theses on folklore topics, beginning with Hortense Braden's 1926 thesis, A classification of incidents in certain collections of African folk-tales. Indiana University was the first university in the United States to offer the PhD in folklore, awarding the first one to Warren Roberts in 1953.
Browse IUCAT for all the IU folklore dissertations and theses completed to date. Below are other tools to locate dissertations and theses from beyond IU.
- ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global This link opens in a new window
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Comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses from around the world, including millions of works from thousands of universities. Each dissertation published since July, 1980 includes a 350-word abstract written by the author. Master's theses published since 1988 include 150-word abstracts. Simple bibliographic citations are available for dissertations dating from 1637.
Folklore Theses and Dissertations in the United States by
Call Number: FOLK Reference Z5981 .D914ISBN: 0292724136Publication Date: 1976
For primary sources in folklore and ethnomusicology, our rich archival collections await your visit. They include ethnographic field collections and recordings from around Indiana and the world. My advice: check out the pages below and consult with the archivists before you plan to visit. Unlike a library, archival collections need prior notice to be used.
Moira Marsh (formerly Moira Smith) has been the subject librarian for Anthropology, Folklore, and Sociology at Indiana University Bloomington since 1997.
She is a folklorist specializing in humor studies.
She is a kiwi, amateur jackalope wrangler, former editor, and a former President of the Bloomington faculty.
She is a research whisperer. Her second favorite thing to do is consult with students, faculty, and researchers about their research questions, large or small.
Practically Joking by ISBN: 9780874219838Publication Date: 2015-07-15- The ritual humor of students : capping at Victoria University, 1902-1988 by
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Publication Date: 1992
