Methodological approaches in Russian and foreign folklorism research

The research is relevant due to ethnic elements popularization in social, political (use of electorate's local ethnic culture in political party's work) and economic (tourism) life spheres. The aim of this article is to show the main methodological approaches in foreign and Russian folklorism research. The term folklorism was suggested in 1962 by German ethnologist Hans Moser. He wrote that the folklorism is "second-hand mediation and presentation of folk culture". Moser meant most popular folklore elements transformation for shows and performances. But he did not suggest any methodological approach for the new concept. Several years later, another German scientist Herman Bausinger suggested his methodological approach in which he especially noted the role of media, scientific organisations, the most popular form of folklorism (e.g., use of indigenous dress), regional folklorism (e.g., Bavaria in Germany). More methodological approaches to folklorism are described in American, Slovenian and Russian ethnological research works. In his research on the kappa belief and its transformation from folklore to folklorism, American folklore researcher Michael Dylan Foster used a historical-genetic method, document analysis, mapping, a historical periodization method, structure functional and system analysis. Irina A. Kolobkova was interested in clay toys as a modern folk decorative art. She used observation, interview, photo fixation, comparative analysis. The following conclusions and summary can be made from the above: 1. According to historiography, the author has formed an operational hypothesis: folklorism research uses system analysis methodological approaches. It means integrity, transformation of social institution system constitutive relation under the environmental influence. Traditional historical methods (comparative analysis, document analysis, field work and other) are also used; 2. Folklorism study uses quantity and quality sociological and ethnological methods (overview, interview, public opinion polls, content analysis); 3. There are no principal differences in foreign and Russian folklorism methodological approaches.

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