<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p><italic>Tradition</italic> has been claimed to be a keyword in the folklore lexicon. Yet the word has not proved central to the thinking of many folklorists. More often, the term is simply used to mark territory. By characterizing certain songs, tales, dances, or customs as <italic>traditions</italic>, such expressions and behaviors are declared to be part of the discipline’s proper subject. But the term is usually theoretically empty. It is rarely defined, and it raises no critical questions. In this essay, <italic>tradition</italic> is defined, the critical questions evoked by this definition are specified, and some of the ways that folklorists might go about answering these questions are delineated.</p>
</abstract>

Tradition has been claimed to be a keyword in the folklore lexicon. Yet the word has not proved central to the thinking of many folklorists. More often, the term is simply used to mark territory. By characterizing certain songs, tales, dances, or customs as traditions, such expressions and behaviors are declared to be part of the discipline’s proper subject. But the term is usually theoretically empty. It is rarely defined, and it raises no critical questions. In this essay, tradition is defined, the critical questions evoked by this definition are specified, and some of the ways that folklorists might go about answering these questions are delineated.

To Explain Tradition

Professor Emeritus, California State University

Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"To Explain Tradition"}

Tradition has been claimed to be a keyword in the folklore lexicon. Yet the word has not proved central to the thinking of many folklorists. More often, the...

To Explain Tradition

Publié en ligne: 22 déc. 2021

Pages: 1 - 18

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jef-2021-0013

Mots clés
tradition, change, adaptation, evolution, innovation

© 2021 Elliott Oring, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

To Explain Tradition

Publié en ligne: 22 déc. 2021

Pages: 1 - 18

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jef-2021-0013

Mots cléstradition, change, adaptation, evolution, innovation

© 2021 Elliott Oring, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Mots clés
tradition, change, adaptation, evolution, innovation