Chinese opera performer Qi Shu Fang of New York City. Qi has received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Photograph courtesy of the Folk and Traditional Arts Program, National Endowment for the Arts. From the Masters of Traditional Arts DVD-ROM, produced by Alan Govenar and published by ABC-CLIO.

AFS Position Statements

Compensation for Self-Employed Folklorists

The Executive Board of the American Folklore Society recognizes that professional-level work undertaken by self-employed folklorists makes a substantial contribution to the continued growth of the field of folklore. The Board acknowledges that adequate financial compensation is required to sustain a pool of professional, experienced, and skilled individuals to carry out an increasing number of contracted services in the field.

Therefore the Board strongly encourages those who hire self-employed folklorists to estimate the days required to complete the work involved and then offer at least double the daily rate received by a salaried employee with comparable education, experience, and skills at the contracting organization or agency. This method of calculating rates, common in many fields, will allow self-employed folklorists to cover the considerable time and expense involved in maintaining an independent business, including costs for space, utilities, supplies, equipment, travel, and the time spent in soliciting contracts for services.

Adopted by the American Folklore Society Executive Board, 2001