Bottom-Up: The Subject-Centered Stance of Memory Studies in Folklore
Journal: Arts Studies and Criticism DOI: 10.32629/asc.v7i2.5120
Abstract
Since the early twentieth century, memory research has progressively transcended the confines of individual psychology to become a central concern across the humanities and social sciences. From Halbwachs's "collective memory" and Connerton's "social memory" to the Assmanns' "cultural memory" and Ricoeur's narrative-centred philosophy of memory, the theoretical genealogy of memory studies has grown steadily richer. Drawing on this genealogy, this paper examines the disciplinary pathways and theoretical stance of folklore studies within the field of memory research. It argues that folklore, as a discipline oriented towards vernacular tradition and everyday culture, should uphold a "bottom-up" research position in which ordinary people — rather than states, institutions, or elite actors — serve as the primary subjects of memory. By means of life-history methods and attention to local cultural consciousness, folklore studies can illuminate the agency and subjectivity of folk memory in ways that complement, and critically engage with, the dominant frameworks of collective and cultural memory theory.
Keywords
folklore studies, memory research, subjectivity
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[3] Assmann J. Cultural Memory: Writing, Remembrance, and Political Identity in Early Civilizations. Czaplicka J, trans. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011: 49–52.
[4] Assmann A. Cultural Memory and Western Civilization: Functions, Media, Archives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
[5] Ricoeur P. Memory, History, Forgetting. Blamey K, Pellauer D, trans. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004: 232–256.
[6] Xiao W T. How Historical Narrative Shapes Memory: An Analysis of Paul Ricoeur's Memory Theory. Journal of Renmin University of China, 2025(1): 36–48.
[7] Wang M K. The Boundaries of the Hua-Xia: Historical Memory and Ethnic Identity. Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press, 2006: 28–33.
[8] Zhao S Y. Small History and Grand History: Concepts, Methods, and Practice in Regional Social History. Beijing: SDX Joint Publishing Company, 2006: 3–18.
[9] Wang X K. Memory Studies and Folklore: Reflections on a Research Framework. Folklore Studies (Minsu Yanjiu), 2011(2): 3–12.
[10] Liu X C. Folklore and Memory Studies: From Halbwachs to Jan Assmann. Folklore Studies (Minsu Yanjiu), 2016(4): 5–16.
[11] Diao T J. The Convergence of Folklore Studies and Memory Research: Reflections on the Field of "Folkloric Memory Research." Northwestern Journal of Ethnology (Xibei Minzu Yanjiu), 2020(2): 66–76.
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