American Folklore Society

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American Folklore Society The American Folklore Society is a professional association dedicated to the study and promotion of folklore across the United States and internationally, engaging scholars, practitioners, and public audiences. Founded in the late 19th century amid intellectual currents that involved figures associated with the Smithsonian Institution, American Anthropological Association, and the growth of regional studies such as those exemplified by the American Antiquarian Society, the Society has intersected with many institutions and personalities across American cultural life. It maintains ties to archival repositories like the Library of Congress and universities such as Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, and Indiana University Bloomington.

History

The Society emerged in the context of scholarly networks that included the Smithsonian Institution, the American Anthropological Association, and regional learned societies like the American Antiquarian Society and the New England Historic Genealogical Society. Early gatherings connected scholars who worked alongside figures tied to the U.S. National Museum and federal collections at the Library of Congress and maintained correspondence with intellectuals from Harvard University, Columbia University, and Yale University. Over time the organization engaged with movements centered on public institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, partnered with archives including the Folklore Archives at Indiana University Bloomington and the Bureau of American Ethnology, and responded to national debates reflected in forums like the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Council of Learned Societies. Throughout the 20th century, the Society intersected with scholars affiliated with University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, and cultural leaders connected to the Library of Congress American Folklife Center.

The Society’s mission emphasizes research, preservation, and dissemination in fields that overlap with scholarly centers such as Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, and university departments at Indiana University Bloomington, Harvard University, and University of California, Los Angeles. It advances work by members connected to museums including the American Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the National Museum of American History, while interacting with funding bodies like the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Science Foundation. Programmatic initiatives have engaged partners such as the American Council of Learned Societies, the Modern Language Association, and the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and have involved practitioners who collaborate with cultural organizations like the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, and state archives such as the Massachusetts Archives.

The Society publishes peer-reviewed journals and newsletters that circulate among scholars at Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, and research libraries like the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library. Its flagship periodical has been cited alongside publications from University of California Press, Oxford University Press, and journals produced by the American Anthropological Association and the Modern Language Association. The Society administers awards honoring work affiliated with universities including Indiana University Bloomington, University of Pennsylvania, University of Texas at Austin, and institutions such as the Library of Congress American Folklife Center, with prizes named in the spirit of scholars connected to archives at the American Antiquarian Society and research programs supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Annual and biennial meetings convene participants from academic centers like University of Chicago, Princeton University, Brown University, and University of California, Berkeley, and cultural partners including the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress. These gatherings often feature panels with contributors from museums such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the American Museum of Natural History, and collaborate with organizations such as the American Anthropological Association and the Modern Language Association. Locations for meetings have included venues in cities with major universities like New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, and have coordinated programming with archives such as the Newberry Library and the Folger Shakespeare Library.

Category:Learned societies of the United States