ABSTRACT

A groundbreaking collection of essays on a hitherto underexplored subject that challenges the existing stereotypical views of the trivial and innocent nature of children's culture, this work reveals for the first time the artistic and complex interactions among children. Based on research of scholars from such diverse fields as American studies, anthropology, education, folklore, psychology, and sociology, this volume represents a radical new attempt to redefine and reinterpret the expressive behaviors of children. The book is divided into four major sections: history, methodology, genres, and setting, with a concluding chapter on theory. Each section is introduced by an overview by Brian Sutton-Smith. The accompanying bibliography lists historical references through the present, representing works by scholars for over 100 years.

chapter |7 pages

Introduction

What Is Children's Folklore?

chapter I|44 pages

Overview

History of Children's Folklore

chapter II|77 pages

Overview

Methods in Children's Folklore

chapter 4|17 pages

Double Dutch and Double Cameras

Studying the Transmission of Culture in an Urban School Yard

chapter 5|27 pages

Children's Games and Gaming

chapter III|84 pages

Overview

Children's Folklore Concerns

chapter 7|16 pages

Songs, Poems, and Rhymes 1

chapter 8|32 pages

Riddles

chapter 9|19 pages

Tales and Legends

chapter 10|12 pages

Teases and Pranks

chapter IV|67 pages

Overview

Settings and Activities

chapter 13|19 pages

Children's Folklore in Residential Institutions

Summer Camps, Boarding Schools, Hospitals, and Custodial Facilities

chapter |16 pages

Conclusion: The Past in the Present

Theoretical Directions for Children's Folklore