Indian Folklore in Colonial and Post Colonial World (original) (raw)
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Anthropology and Folklore Studies in India: An Overview
Anthropology and Folklore Studies in India: An Overview , 2020
Anthropology has a long tradition of folklore studies. Anthropologist studied both the aspect of folklore i.e. life and lore. Folklore became a popular medium in anthropological studies and using emic approach researchers try to find out the inner meaning of different aspects of culture. This paper focused on the major approaches of the study of Anthropology and Folklore. It is an attempt to classify different phases of Anthropology of Folklore studies in India and understand the historical development of Anthropology of Folklore studies in India. It is observed that, both theoretical and methodological approaches were changed with the time and new branches are emerged with different dimensions.
Unit-2 Brief History Of Folklore Studies With Special Reference To India
2017
Structure 2.0 Objectives 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Early philology and the Grimm Brothers 2.3 W. J. Thoms and the word 'folklore' 2.4 Folklore and ideology 2.5 Different academic approaches 2.6 Growth of folklore studies in India 2.6.1 The missionary period 2.6.2 The nationalist period 2.6.3 The academic period 2.7 Let us sum up 2.8 References and further readings 2.9 Check your progress: possible answers 2.0 OBJECTIVES After reading this Unit, you will be able to: understand the beginning and growth of folklore studies, in India in particular, and in the other parts of the world in general; explain the ideological contexts for the study of, and interest in, folklore; and explain the diversity of perceptions about folklore in different places and at different times.
The Ad Litteram Journal, 2022
Do the tribes call themselves tribals or do we call them the tribals? These are the exact words with which one of my course instructors during my M.Phil. coursework from the University of Delhi decided to open his introductory class on Oral Tradition and Tribal Literature (in India). This conspicuous enquiry prompted an uncomfortable silence in the class because the answer to this immediately demanded, one, a deep revaluation of certain prejudiced assumptions about indigenous people’s communities, and second, to realise the ways in which knowledge usually moves from the center to the margin when it comes to the identification and representation of marginalized communities. Later, a more fieldwork-based approach to research into regional culture, oral narratives and belief practices with the help of appropriate tools allowed most of us to sensitize ourselves to view the marginalized communities being more than just ‘beneficiaries’ of government schemes. What emerged was a gaze ‘inward’, a step backward from the mainstream and identify the inequalities. In purview of this larger background, the present paper purposes to array a certain aspect of how folklore studies in independent India is deciphered and practiced. This is attempted on the basis of taking notes from emergent discussions by various scholars of Indian folklore studies, by considering fresh perspectives on tribal lore and life, by ruminating over various sources of Indian mythology and other overlooked parameters. This paper is qualitative in nature and intends to highlight the significance of folklore studies as a knowledge driven discipline that allows a systematic study of all the living songs, stories, belief narratives and performances of the common people that never got represented in the curriculum books.
A HISTORICAL DISCOURSE OF FOLKLORE STUDIES IN ASSAM
It can of course be said that the inception of folklore studies in India as well as in Assam is directly related to the advent of foreign personage. It is important to mention that the conscious and intentional effort directed to towards assimilation and synthesis of folklore materials took shape in the hands of foreign missionaries, British Govt. officials and their relatives, random travelers and amateur scholars of mainly anthropology and linguistics. In this respect I would like to lay emphasis on that colonialism is such a phenomenon, the advent of which not only gave birth to a new era of folklore studies but also had a remarkable influence upon its formation and development. Thus colonialism can be considered as a landmark in the periodization of folklore studies. Indian Independence in 1947 laid down the beginning of the second phase of folklore study of Assam covering a period from the middle of the 20 th century to the present. In this stage folklore study attained a dynamic character and a dimensional change was detected as analytical study took place besides collection and compilation. In this post colonial period many socio-cultural factors were responsible for the development of folklore studies of Assam. These factors will be discussed in detail in course of the study.
Anthropological perspectives on folklore: underpinnings on some Nepali folklore
The key objectives of this article are to explore how people use folklore for interaction, and how folklore is useful for managing social/cultural situations and for identity making. Pedestal on qualitative secondary data obtained from various literature, books, journals and articles, the conceptual frame of the study respite on four field approaches of anthropology that comprehend folklore at local, regional, national, and global scales and are supportive in reflecting the understandings in application and seeking ways to adjust with communities to assist them in preserving folklore or in bridging the knowledge-community dissection-understanding and analyzing ethnic behaviors, their identity and institutions, human-culture-nature relation, micro-macro structural relations. With a unique cultural heritage, Nepal is copious with diverse folklore based on legends, religion, popular beliefs etc that are the traditions of ethnic cultures, subcultures, or groups to express feelings. Nepali folklore establishes relationship of local people with their culture, ethno-cognition, using folklore for interaction and unity, for managing social/cultural/ecological situations in various institutional settings for identity making, explaining the natives as possessing an exclusive system of perceiving and organizing phenomenon. Anthropology's in-depth fieldwork methodology, long rendezvous in questions of society–culture interactions and broad holistic view yields precious insights into Nepali folklore.
Anthropological Perspectives on Folklore: Underpinnings on Some
2019
The main objectives of this article is to explore how people use folklore for interaction, and how folklore is useful for managing social/cultural situations for identity making. Pedestal on qualitative secondary data were obtained from various literature, books, journals and articles. The conceptual frame of the study respite on four field approaches of anthropology which comprehend folklore at local, regional, national, and global scales and are supportive in reflecting the understandings in application and seeking ways to adjust with communities to assist them in preserving folklore or in bridging the knowledge-community dissection--understanding and analyzing ethnic behaviors, their identity and institutions, human-culture-nature relation, micro-macro structural relations. With a unique cultural heritage, Nepal is copious with diverse folklore based on legends, religion, popular beliefs etc. They are the traditions of ethnic cultures, subcultures, or groups to express feelings. ...
RELIGION, FOLKLORE AND ORAL TRADITIONS: SPECIAL REFERENCE TO EASTERN INDIA
Acme International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 2017
A large number of folklore related to religious groups, cults, personality based cults, exists these days in every region of the Indian sub continent. In India religious diversity is respected and encouraged. People from diverse cultures and backgrounds have always accommodated and amalgamated in Indian society. The growth of the folklore provides an interesting window to study the mixing of the legends, oral traditions, religious beliefs, culture and the actual history of the region. For instance in Eastern India there exists variety of folklore , folk literature, Mangal-Kavyas (Panchali) that deals generally with the religious cults, sects, traditions and stories of gods and goddesses , various forms of worship, it's beliefs, rituals and variety of practices etc. The folklore also shows how and why we worship Trees, Sacred Animals, Birds, Emblems, Pictures, Signs, and Motifs etc. The main reason to worship these manifestations is to show devotions to god and goddesses. It symbolizes the religious and cultural practices of both Aryan and non-Aryan traditions. It shows cultural synthesis and ongoing process of socio-anthropological development of the society. Therefore an assessment of Indian culture is possible through a careful study of the religion and folklore .
Introduction: Locating the Study of Folklore in Modern South Asian Studies
South Asian History and Culture, 2017
The study of folklore served an important role in the development of South Asian Studies, yet, ironically, folklore was mostly studied in relation to classical Sanskrit texts within academe. The study of vernacular folklore was, on the other hand, relegated to amateurs and collectors, but with the publication of an important volume, tellingly titled Another Harmony (1986), since it revised the folk/classical divide, folklore reentered areal studies with a newer generation of scholars who were interested in a variety of new approaches that went beyond the textual interface. This introduction briefly traces that history then introduces the current set of papers to point out both the problems and prospects of returning to the folkloristic project.