Vol. 1 No. 1 (2001): Alternative Paradigms in Folklore Studies: The Indian Chapter - By Nita Mathur

In this article, Mathur describes the three approaches to folklore study-----the humanist, the historical, and the psychological-----and goes on to prove that folklore is an inseparable part of culture. By showing how Santhal folklore is derived from and woven to their agrarian and land concerns, the author argues that folk arts are inextricably linked to lifestyles. Folklore study has now entered post-modernist dialectics, and has become a contemporary discipline. Mathur advocates that the ‘folk’ themselves should be able to directly access and contribute to folklore studies. In this way, the earlier ethnography can be replaced by a community database.