Living Folklore: An Introduction to the Study of People and their Traditions

by Martha C. Sims, Martine Stephens

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, interpretive approaches, and fieldwork. Many teachers of undergraduates find the available folklore textbooks too complex or unwieldy for an introductory level course. It is precisely this criticism that Living Folklore addresses; while comprehensive and rigorous, the book is specifically intended to meet the needs of those students who are just beginning their study of the discipline. Its real strength lies in how it combines carefully articulated foundational concepts with relevant examples and a student-oriented teaching philosophy.

Genres: Nonfiction, Folklore

312 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2005

Reviews

[Hana Jabr · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Crystal]

This book was nothing very spectacular, but the spelling and grammatical errors present? What was the editor on?

[çiğdem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keşke bu kitabı lisanstaki temel halkbilim dersi için okutsalardı. Halkbiliminin temellerini basit ve yalın bir dille anlatıyor. Tahtayı hevesli bir şekilde kullanan hocayı dinler gibiydim.

[B. Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should make a textbook shelf with all the textbooks I read. Anyway, this was definitely academic reading - a bit dry, but had a bunch of useful information. I feel like I have a good grasp of what folklore is now.

I've also found myself noting the folklore I see in every day life, and have been considering folklore in my upbringing. We'll see where I go with this in the future.

[Juli Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wordy and repetitive.

[Dilara Inam · Rating 5 out of 5]

textbook

[Staci Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a textbook for Special Topics: Folklore at University of Arkansas Fort Smith.

While the information in this book is presented clearly and efficiently, it is a dry read that I had to struggle through. Thankfully, the book does take some even DRIER reading articles and condense them down to main points. I did appreciate the information the book provided on ways to collect folklore and I thought the student essays about folklore included with the book were the most interesting part.

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad for a textbook. Reads a lot like a Master's thesis with a lot of references to other people's studies, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I was extremely happy to find it for the Kindle because it was a lot cheaper than print, and one less textbook for me to carry around.