Folklore and Cultural Character. INSTITUTION Pennsylvania State Modern Language Association
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 059 646 FL 002 914 AUTHOR Kiriazis, James W. TITLE Folklore and Cultural Character. INSTITUTION Pennsylvania State Modern Language Association. PUB DATE 71 NOTE 9p.; Speech presented at the Pennsylvania State Modern Language Association Conference, OctobPr 1970, at Gannon College, Erie, Pennsylvania JOURNAL CIT Bulletin of the Pennsylvania State Modern Language Association; v49 n1-2 p8-16 F 1970 -Spr 1971 EDRS PRICE MF-$0.65 HC-$3.29 DESCRIPTORS *Anthropology; *Cross Cultural Studies; Cultural Background; Cultural Education; Cultural Factors; *Cultural Interrelationships; Cultural Traits; *Folk Culture; Social Characteristics; Social Structure; Social Values; *Sociocultural Patterns ABSTRACT Encompassing a synthesis of studies exploring folktales and culture (more specifically cultural character) this report points out that the anthropologist or folklorist must gain familiarity with the culture and its members to gain some understanding of its integrative themes to determine whether they express wish fulfillment or reaction formation. The notion that a modal personality can be delineated for empirical examination through intensive study of the particular folklore of a particular society is examined through discussion involving examples of Polish, Zuni, Chinese, and Rhodesian culture. (R14 U.S. DEPARTMENT Of HEALTH. EDUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION From the Bulletin of thePennsylvania State THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR Modern Language AssooicktIon;Vol. 49, No. 1-2, ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED 00 NOT NECES. Fall 1970 - Spring 1971. SARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF ECIU. CATION POSITION OR POLICY FOLKLORE ANDCULTURALCHARACTER* James W. Kiriazis Youngstown State University be a central focus, Ido not subscribe tothe The relationship offolklore to modal per- theme, nor should intermittentidea of a single causative sonality has been studied on an one structure aset of themes based onthe and cursory basis leavingmuch still to be ex- individual, even one as in- modal personality isideas of a single plored. In this context, sightful as Sigmund Freud. t." used to represent thestatistical distribution of Cultural character andmodal personality C:2 the behavioral characteristicsof a cultural at configurations by be another survey,studies attempt to arrive character. This report will describing the correlativeregularities of the in- a synthesis ofstudies exploring folktalesand culture.2 Quite often cultural character.dividual's behavior in a tamil culture, or more specifically, these studies takechild-rearing techniques as The idea of culturalcharacter infers that cul- most often pro- personalities of individ-major clues to the personality tures encompass the jected. Some anthropologistschoose to empha- uals. "Culture's distinctiveconfigurational fea- existence and to con-size a particularfeature of these techniques, tures come to pattern the sleeping arrangements, toilettraining or others. dition the thoughts andemotions of individuals P. Murdock initiated the to participate in itsA few years ago G. born into it, or who come Human Relations AreaFiles, a cross-indexed activities." In attempting torelate configura- which also in- be aware that thecompilation of ethnographies tions to folklore one must clude a number of folktales.Although the Files groups using themchange with each generation. available, anthropol- creates difficulties forhave made some material The transition, in turn, ogists have made littleattempt to correlate the the analysis of configurationsand folklore. other parts of culture. usual references aresignificance of folklore to In most instances, the It must also bementioned that quite often not used in discussingfour diverse groups, withanthropologists have chosen notto transcribe whose folklore the authoris familiar. The cul- severely limitingthe tures selected for discussion arethe Polish, thefolk tales and myths, Rhodian Greek. Itamount of data available. Zuni, the Chinese, and the The approaches to"Culture and Personal- is, of course, impossible topresent a complete examplesity" have most oftenused, as their basis, series of folktales so, in most cases, themes borrowed frompsychoanalytic psychol- will be used solely forillustrative purposes initially devised by clinicalpsychol- folktale. ogy, tests without the narrative of the ogists, questionnairesinspired by sociologists I choose to use Fischer'sbroad definition of technique com- .. anytraditional,and the participant-observer folktale as inclusive of ". monly used by anthropologist*.Most anthro- dramatic, oral narrative,"and in this he in- the large societal those usedpologists have dealt with cludes myths of the supernatural or approach on such alimited basis that theydo exclusively for entertainment.2Folktales con- models prior to the study, culture with annot structure their stitute a part of "expressive" but arrive at conclusionsafter the fact. To empirical result designed toeffect a reaction their approach issimilar to the the participants. It isnoteworthysome extent on the part of one employedby folklorists, andsimilar in the that a folktale is adramatic narrative insofar studies conducted by the conflict that must beresolved.fact that most of the as it states a men of bothfields are mainly withtechnolog- These conflicts are, of course,expressive and non-literate societies.4 As culture they repre-ically simple, often reflective of the particular stated above a few ofthese studies of cultural sent, thus making thefolktale an important theme, a form of psy- folktales also serve tocharacter stress a single tool of analysis. Many chological reductionism atits worst. For in- convey a moral or alesson. stance, Geoffrey Gorerplaces extreme stress on Today, as in the past twodecades, there is swaddling of infants inGreat anthropologiststhe importance of a revivedinterest on the part of Russia to which heattributes that country's in the area of "Cultureand Personality." Thisnational UMW. La Barrecontends that the interest is paralleled by anattempt to make training techniques of theJap- scientific by using a widersevere toilet the approach more anese are largelyaccountable for their obses- variety of analytical tools.One of the aspects 0-- Personality" is that phasesive-compulsive personality.0 of "Culture and Methods of discovering acultural character which stresses the studyof the behavioral traits of pro- group.or a modalpersonality include the use characteristic of a particularsocial tests such as Rorschachdata, the These behavioral traits areintegrated by cer-jective ("K existential themes into aThematic ApperceptionTest, and drawing tain normative and Although there cananalyses. Anthropologistssuch as Hallowell, unified cultural character. Honigmann, Mead andothers utilize these techniques extensively.While it is true that culture-bound, Conference (1970) of thesome ofthese tests are not ° Delivered at Fall there is. nevertheless,considerable doubt as to PSMLA. 8 1 their cross-cultural applicability in termsof the protocol usedin scoring and seen as a necessity; howeverit must be noted upon the partial knowledge over-reliancethat after immigration of the language.7many of the formerto the United States, Modified series ofTAT cardsor protmol need peasants did beginto testing themselves. idealize work andthe consequent Drawing analysesmay re-that "manual labor attitude is flect cultural traditions,but the interpreter has more dignitythan com- be subjective. maymercial occupations."14 These statements donot mean The child-rearing that all of thesetests are to be practices in Polandtradi- rather that they disregarded,tionally emphasizethat a child must should be used onlywith greatunder strict rules be raised caution as adjuvantsto other methods and unquestionableobedience analysis. ofis demanded ofthe child. It is mediately following true that im- According to Barnouw,there are "three World War II therewas eral kinds of studies gen-an attempt to change which concern folkloreinthat the individual's the familial valuesso relation to personality."8First, the work of the allegiance was shiftedto psychoanalysts who the authority ofthe state. Except stress symbolism. Mostre-and middle classes for theupper cently, it was Frommwho stated that who constitutea distinct of universal symbolism a typeminority, the planhas not caused exists; the idea thatanchanges although it overall individual interpretssymbols similarly if gives some credenceto cultural contexts thethe adolescent'sarguments for greater are alike, A secondapproach The husband is control. to folklore involvescross-culturalsurveys, for regarded as the headof the example, the studies family, but the wiferules over household conducted by JohnWhit-ters. He is hard and mat- ing and his colleagueson child training.10 The unbending while sheoften third approach assumes the role of the involves a more intensivestudyis seen as protectress. The infant of the folklore ofa particular society, an extremely fragilebeing that must times in addition some-be hardened."Swaddling is conceived to other socio-psychologicalstep in a long as a first evidence basedon the idea thata modal per- process of 'hardening'the sonality can be child."15 The Poleswho tend to value delineated for empiricalex-feel that it is also suffering amination. Thispaper is primarily conceived necessary for the child'sup- with a critical bringing, and further, survey of this aspect inrelation swaddling differentiates to cultural character between