Scientific Editorship: Christos Papakostas, University of Ioannina

An excellent work by a prominent scholar of folklore regarding cultural practice and why people need tradition. In the book The Practice of Folklore: Essays on a Theory of Tradition, the author Simon J. Bronner uses theories of cultural practice to explain the social and psychological need for tradition in everyday life.

Thinking in terms of practice, especially in the digital world, necessitates redefinitions of folk culture and a reorientation toward interpreting everyday life. More than performance or representation in social theory, practice connects local culture with the popular idea that “this is how we do things around here.” Practice refers to how these things are analyzed as part of theory, rather than separately, thus encouraging their study. The phrase “this is how we do things around here” invokes the social basis of “acting within the context of practice as cultural and organic.

Bronner draws on previous studies of tradition regarding creativity and provides an overview of the theory of practice and the ways it could be applied to folkloric studies. Demonstrating the application of this theory to folkloric studies, Bronner offers four provocative case studies of psychocultural meanings emerging from traditional frameworks of action and addressing contemporary issues: What do references to the bogeyman reveal; how do beliefs about "wild children" connect to school shootings; how are offensive chants by fans interpreted; and how is masculinity explained in vulgar songs.

Turning his analysis to tradition analysts, Bronner uses the theory of practice to assess the contributions of folklorists to shaping perceptions of traditional-centered "folk societies."

Contents:

• PART I: THEORIES AND DEFINITIONS
• Theory of Practice in Folklore Studies
• The "Usability" of Tradition
• Toward a Definition of Folk Culture in Practice
• PART II: PRACTICES AND EXERCISES
• Revisiting the Bogeyman: A Praxiological Inquiry into the Origin, Form, and Meaning of a Problematic Folkloric Character
• "Who is your daddy?": Proverbial and Psychological Meanings in Practice
• "The Butcher has Asperger's": Autism, Beliefs, and Narratives about Wild Children
• "Who is knocking on my door?": Barnacle Bill Again and Again
• PART III: EXTENSIONS AND APPLICATIONS
• From the Field... to the Farmers' Market: The Folk Society of the Amish in the Age of Fast Capitalism
• The Year of Folklore and Other Lessons in Public Heritage
• How Relevant are Folklore Museums?
• Folkloric Practices in a Converging Hyper-Era