Article Abstract:
Alan Dundes, a folklorist, believed deeply that folklore is a pervasive, integral, and significant aspect of social existence and that its documentation and study can provide important insights into the essence and dynamics of culture and human behavior. He contributed significantly to internationalization of folkloristics by finding out who the leading folklorists in foreign countries were, reading their works, and familiarizing American folklore students and scholars with their ideas and concerns.
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Article Abstract:
Many self-identified folklorists have had no training in the discipline. Often articles by untrained 'folklorists' appear in folklore journals or are presented at conferences. The ease with which one can present oneself as a folklorist has led to a lack of consistency and quality in the field. While regulation may be unnecessary, those in related disciplines should be discouraged from presenting themselves as folklorists, and folklorists need to better define their own field.
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Article Abstract:
The concepts of operant behavior, reinforcement and extinction derived from the behaviorism of B.F. Skinner are applicable to folklore. Folklore can be considered a form of operant behavior which persists because of intermittent reinforcement. Lack of reinforcement can lead to extinction of the folklore repertoire. This does not mean that the folklore has been forgotten; a folklore collector may stimulate the recital of stories that have not been told for many years.
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