Folk society | Rural Communities, Peasantry & Kinship (2024)

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folk society, an ideal type or concept of society that is completely cohesive—morally, religiously, politically, and socially—because of the small numbers and isolated state of the people, because of the relatively unmediated personal quality of social interaction, and because the entire world of experience is permeated with religious meaning, the understanding and expression of which are shared by all members. The folk society is generally assumed to be the model of preliterate or so-called primitive societies that anthropologists have traditionally studied.

The most important and enduring modern effort to make the concept of folk culture relevant to anthropology remains the work of the U.S. anthropologist Robert Redfield, who saw folk society as including not only primitive groups but also peasant peoples whose operations entailed some degree of dependence on the city (see peasant). Although criticized for this interpretation of peasant life, as well as for underrating the impersonal and economic values and relations that may obtain in folk societies, Redfield’s construction of the ideal folk culture continues to be the authoritative ideal type. Especially significant characteristics of folk society, as Redfield saw it, are its self-conception as the vessel of the sacred (this conception endowing the moral order with absolute authority and rendering the life-styles rigidly conventionalized) and its quality of being the whole of social and spiritual reality, with functions satisfying all the needs of an individual from birth, through all his life crises and transitions, to death.

Folk society | Rural Communities, Peasantry & Kinship (2024)

FAQs

What is the concept of folk society? ›

folk society, an ideal type or concept of society that is completely cohesive—morally, religiously, politically, and socially—because of the small numbers and isolated state of the people, because of the relatively unmediated personal quality of social interaction, and because the entire world of experience is ...

What do you mean by folk community? ›

: a usually small isolated illiterate society characterized as hom*ogeneous in cultural tradition, as having a sacred rather than secular orientation, and as possessing a high degree of internal integration and group solidarity. contrasted with urban society.

What is an example of a folk communal society? ›

Answer: One example of a folk-communal society in criminology is the concept of restorative justice practiced in certain indigenous or tribal communities. Restorative justice focuses on healing and reconciliation rather than punishment.

What is folk culture in sociology? ›

Conventionally, folk culture refers to the products and practices of relatively hom*ogeneous and isolated small-scale social groups living in rural locations. Thus, folk culture is often associated with tradition, historical continuity, sense of place, and belonging.

What are the three main characteristics of folk culture? ›

Characteristics of Folk and Popular Culture

Folk music tells a story and is personal in nature.  Most folk culture is rural.  Folk housing normally reflects the culture.  Food preferences are adapted to the environment.

What is the main idea of folk culture? ›

Popular & Folk Culture : Example Question #1

"Folk culture" describes cultural traditions that are done at a local level and which are derived from longstanding cultural practices. Folk culture is separated from popular and high culture by its traditional and localized nature.

Is folk culture rural? ›

Folk culture- the culture traditionally practiced primarily by small, hom*ogenous groups living in isolated rural areas.

What is the best example of folk culture? ›

The term 'folk culture' is used to refer to both specific cultural practices and whole cultures, and examples include Morris dancing in England, folk singing such as Mongolian throat singing, Choctaw (Native American) story telling and the whole of the Amish culture is also referred to as a 'folk culture'…

What is folk local culture? ›

Local folk cultures refer to traditional practices and beliefs that are practiced by a small group of people within a specific geographic area. These cultures are often passed down through generations orally or through informal education systems.

Are the Amish a folk culture? ›

The Old Order Amish flourish as a tradition-based folk culture in the midst of a progressive dominant culture whose values are very different. They lead a simple lifestyle based on self- sufficiency and a rich sense of interdependent community that has changed very little in the past three centuries.

Is folk culture behavioral? ›

Folk culture flows through the realm of behavior, or more precisely, social action in which cultural forms find articulation.

Is folk culture high culture? ›

Source Papers (3) Folk culture refers to the traditional customs, beliefs, and practices of a community, while high culture refers to the refined and intellectual aspects of society.

What is a folk concept? ›

A folk concept is a notion that has a general, popularly understood meaning particular to a sociocultural grouping, but which has not been formally defined or standardized.

What is the difference between folk society and urban society? ›

Economy: Folk societies rely on simple tools for subsistence, while urban societies are characterized by specialized occupations, market exchange, and advanced technology. Belief Systems: While folk societies follow traditional beliefs and rituals, urban societies often show religious diversity and are more secular.

What is the concept of folk literature? ›

Folk literature refers to the cultural artifacts that can be committed to a written form, like stories or songs. The primary aim of folk literature is to preserve oral traditions. Characteristics of folk literature include dissemination through generations, fluidity, sociality, and orality—the quality of being spoken.

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