Advancing Folkloristics

An unprecedented number of folklorists are addressing issues of class, race, gender, and sexuality in academic and public spaces in the US, raising the question: How can folklorists contribute to these contemporary political affairs? Since the nature of folkloristics transcends binaries, can it help others develop critical personal narratives?

Advancing Folkloristics covers topics such as queer, feminist, and postcolonial scholarship in folkloristics. Contributors investigate how to apply folkloristic approaches in nonfolklore classrooms, how to maintain a folklorist identity without a "folklorist" job title, and how to use folkloristic knowledge to interact with others outside of the discipline. The chapters, which range from theoretical reorientations to personal experiences of folklore work, all demonstrate the kinds of work folklorists are well-suited to and promote the areas in which folkloristics is poised to expand and excel.

Advancing Folkloristics presents a clear picture of folklore studies today and articulates how it must adapt in the future.

Jesse A. Fivecoate is a doctoral candidate in folklore at Indiana University, Bloomington. In 2018, he received the Dorson Dissertation Prize from the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology. Kristina Downs is Managing Editor of the Journal of Folklore Research. She is also creator and host of the Crimelore podcast. Meredith A. E. McGriff is Membership Director of the American Folklore Society and co-founder of Hoosier Films. She is author of The Michiana Potters: Art, Community, and Collaboration in the Midwest.