Newfolk@AFS

In 1997, a small band of folklorists formed Newfolk@AFS, the online community dedicated to pushing the envelope of folklore scholarship, particularly in the exploration of contemporary culture. Over the years since it began, Newfolk@AFS has grown both in its membership and in its impact on the scholarly community. In 2000—the folk millennium—our members petitioned to create a section in the American Folklore Society and in 2001 that petition was granted.

So here we are coming to you from the AFS website to invite you to visit us at our Newfolk home, http://www.temple.edu/isllc/newfolk. Become a member of the section; join the email list; read and contribute to New Directions in Folklore, one of the pioneers of online folklore scholarship.

NEWFOLK scholars are dedicated to innovative work around issues of emergent folklore in the modern world. Emergent folklore arises out of the need for new kinds of community or new strategies for maintaining and dealing with communities faced with change. Emergent folklore may make use of traditional genres—jokes, song, narrative, material culture or may create new genres. The materials, sources, or means of transmission such as electronic media are influenced by the issues and problem of "modernization," which both includes and transcends popular culture. Newfolk questions the concept and role of tradition as a cultural and intellectual construction working with, as well as against, forces of modernity.

Here are some links where you can find out more about Newfolk@AFS as well as our related activities:

The NEWFOLK@AFS pages: http://www.temple.edu/newfolk/atafs.html
The NEWFOLK@AFS mission Statement: http://www.temple.edu/isllc/newfolk/mission.html
The NEWFOLK@AFS panel at AFS 2002: http://www.temple.edu/isllc/newfolk/meeting.html
The NEWFOLK homepage: http://www.temple.edu/isllc/newfolk
New Directions in Folklore, the NEWFOLK journal: http://www.temple.edu/isllc/newfolk/journal.html

Convener of this section is Camille Bacon-Smith (camille@voicenet.com).

 

To join this American Folklore Society interest-group section, please visit the AFS membership page of this web site, where you will find both a secure online and a printable, mailable membership form. You need not be a member of the American Folklore Society to join its sections.