Folklore Institute
Folklore studies program at Indiana University Bloomington.
The Folklore Institute is the folklore studies program of Indiana University Bloomington (USA). Together with the Ethnomusicology Institute, it constitutes the larger Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology, a unit of the College of Arts and Sciences. The Folklore Institute was founded in 1942 as a research institute, and in 1963 a separate academic department was established. Prior to around 2000, the name 'Folklore Institute' was sometimes used informally for the department, but historically the institute and department were distinct entities. After the name change, the designation referred to the department's folklore faculty, graduate students, and folklore-specific projects. Many generations of professional folklorists earned degrees from the unit, and in informal discourse the name remains synonymous with the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology.
- established
- 1942 (academic department established 1963)
- notable_alumni
- Alan Dundes, Michael Owen Jones, Dorthy Noyes, Bill Ivy, Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, Sabina Magliocco, Regina Bendix, Ronald L. Baker, Simon J. Bronner, Jan Harold Brunvand, Dan Ben-Amos
Lore & Background
The Folklore Institute was founded in 1942 as a research institute, and a separate academic department was established in 1963. Prior to around 2000, the name 'Folklore Institute' was sometimes used informally for the department, but historically the institute and department were distinct entities. After the name change, the Folklore Institute referred specifically to the department's folklore faculty, the folklore graduate students they supervised, and the folklore studies-specific teaching, research, and outreach projects pursued by the department's folklorists.
Reader's Guide
The Folklore Institute holds significance as a foundational academic unit for folklore studies in the United States. It has trained generations of professional folklorists and ethnomusicologists, many of whom became leading figures in the field. The institute is led by a Director, and one of its Directors or the Ethnomusicology Institute's Director typically also serves as Chair of the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology. Long-term projects of the Folklore Institute include Traditional Arts Indiana, a statewide public folklore agency, and the Journal of Folklore Research. The institute has also organized focused conferences in folklore studies and neighboring fields, some later published by the institute or in partnership with other publishers. Its legacy is tied to the development of folklore as an academic discipline, and its name remains synonymous with the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology in informal discourse.
Did You Know?
- The Folklore Institute was founded in 1942, and a separate academic department was established in 1963.
- It is led by a Director, and one of its Directors or the Ethnomusicology Institute's Director typically also serves as Chair of the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology.
- Long-term projects include Traditional Arts Indiana and the Journal of Folklore Research.
- Prominent alumni include Alan Dundes, Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, and Jan Harold Brunvand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Folklore Institute?
Folklore Institute is the folklore studies program based at Indiana University Bloomington in the United States. It was originally launched in 1942 as a dedicated research institute before a formal academic teaching department was created in 1963.
What is Folklore Institute's role in the academic world?
It serves as the folklore-focused half of the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology, a unit within the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University. Its counterpart in that pairing is the Ethnomusicology Institute.
How does Folklore Institute's story end?
The institution itself remains active, but the specific label 'Folklore Institute' fell out of formal use around the year 2000 when the department underwent a reorganization. After that point the name was no longer the official designation, though some people kept referring to it that way informally.
Why is Folklore Institute important to the field?
It has served as a major training ground for some of the most influential folklore scholars of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including Alan Dundes, Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, Regina Bendix, and Jan Harold Brunvand. Its alumni have shaped how the discipline is practiced around the world.
What's the difference between Folklore Institute and the Department?
Historically they were two separate entities: the institute was a research body founded in 1942, while the academic teaching department came into existence in 1963. Before roughly 2000, people often used the name 'Folklore Institute' loosely to refer to the department, but the two were technically distinct organizations.
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