Oral Traditions And The Verbal Arts: A Guide To Research Practices (asa Research Methods In Social Anthropologists)

Oral traditions and the verbal arts Oral literature, oral tradition, verbal folklore, folk literature, oral performance, popular culture—these areas of human communication and performance are now attracting increasing attention from social anthropologists. Professor Ruth Finnegan has played a key role in developing an anthropological approach to the study of these areas, and this book clearly reflects her personal involvement and authority. Designed as a guide both to the practicalities of fieldwork and to the range of methods by which oral texts and performance can be observed, collected or analysed, Oral Traditions and the Verbal Arts takes the reader through all the stages of preparing for, conducting and following up research. Particular emphasis is laid on the recent interdisciplinary work on performance, on the processes involved in the creation and analysis of texts, and on related ethical issues. The book is distinctive in its comparative perspective, with examples taken from both historical and modern cultures, ranging from African and South Pacific forms to those from contemporary Europe. Theoretical controversies about approach and terminology are clarified, and the kinds of topics discussed are relevant to current anthropological work on, for example, memory, the emotions, artistic expression and individual creativity. A full and up-todate bibliography is included. Oral Traditions and the Verbal Arts provides helpful background and stimulus for all those exploring this rich and expressive area of human culture. Invaluable to students and researchers in anthropology and cultural studies, it will also be immensely helpful to folklorists and oral historians. Ruth Finnegan is Professor in Comparative Social Institutions at the Open University. She was editor of the anthropological journal Man from 1987 to 1989, and is the author of many books and articles, including Literacy and Orality, Oral Literature in Africa and Oral Poetry. ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGISTS ASA Research Methods in Social Anthropology Panel of Honorary Editors:A.L.Epstein James J.Fox Clifford Geertz Adam Kuper Marilyn Strathern Series Editor: Anthony Good, University of Edinburgh RESEARCH PRACTICES IN THE STUDY OF KINSHIP, Alan Barnard and Anthony Good (Academic Press) 1984 ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH: A GUIDE TO GENERAL CONDUCT, R.F.Ellen (ed.) (Academic Press) 1984 OBSERVING THE ECONOMY, C.A.Gregory and J.C.Altman (Routledge) 1989 Oral traditions and the verbal arts A guide to research practices Ruth Finnegan London and New York First published 1992 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by