Към проблематиката на понятието фолклоризъм (Становища, размисли и въпроси)
To the Problems Around the Concept of Folklorism (Attitudes, Reflections and Questions)

Summary/Abstract: The concept of folklorism is often used in ethnography and folkloristics in order to denote the adoption and transformation of folklore element in contemporary culture. It has been in the centre of a spirited discussion. „The term’s indefiniteness” is due largely to its application to most diverse processes and phenomena. The difference in interpreting the concept in capitalist and socialist countries is linked with the nature of the social relations determining the cultural process, the attitude towards the cultural heritage in particular. „The handling down and the presenting of the folklore culture at second hand” (after H. Moser’s definition) in the bourgeois society is part of the system for making capital, it is part of the „cultural industry”. This kind of „folklorism” is looked upon with sharp criticism by folklorists. In socialist countries the concept refers to the general cultural historical process of adopting the folklore „heritage in various spheres of art and culture. The author has certain reservation as to the too broad application of the term. In actual fact, three basic kinds of folklore adoption are distinguished: reception (in the various arts), preservation of folklore (in amateur art activities and communications of the working people) and re-creation, directed towards presentation, towards performance on stage, by mass media, etc. The term of „folklorism” could be referred to this last variety although its use is unwanted as far as the other sciences and the cultural and political practice go and could isolate folkloristics from them terminologically. The problem of „genuineness” (authenticity) is given particular attention. Analyzing the original (non original opposition in the evaluation of traditional folklore culture and its characteristics as an authentic one, the author draws the conclusion that these concepts do not reflect precisely the historical reality and, more particularly, they are inappropriate for describing the cultural practices of today. The diverse forms of adoption of folklore in modern culture require an adequate scientific apparatus which has to be devised by way of international collaboration.

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