A Folklore Ethnography Of Zhaogeahuang: Application Of And Reflection On The Theory Of "Representative Culture-oriented" Writing Style Of Folklore Ethnography

Folklore ethnography has been an important part of the study of folklore since thefounding of the discipline of folklore in China. With the development of the discipline,ethnographic research and writing on folklore has gradually deepened and become morecomplex. In the new period, the theory of the “representative culture-oriented” writing styleof folklore ethnography has become widely recognized by the scholars within the discipline.Focusing on the folk customs in Zhaogezhuang, Guye District in Tangshan, Hebei Province asthe research object, this thesis applies and reflects upon the theory and methods of the“representative culture-oriented” writing style of folklore ethnography.Zhaogezhuang is rich in coal resources, and the coal industry has exerted a great influenceon the production and lives of the people of Zhaogezhuang. The folklore of coal production thathas been stimulated by the coal industry is closely linked with people’s production and life inZhaogezhuang. Together with the foreign occupation of Zhaogezhuang, the folklore of coalproduction of Zhaogezhuang has many special features, particularly regional, functional,scientific, unseasonal, and social features. The folklore of coal production of Zhaogezhuangmainly includes the folklore of coal production, folk beliefs related to coal production, livingfolklore of coal production, other relevant folklore of coal production, and the protection of thefolklore of coal production. The folklore of coal production is related to the representativematerial production of the Zhaogezhuang people, and weddings and funerals are the main socialaspects of the representative material life of the people of Zhaogezhuang. Weddings andfunerals of Zhaogezhuang mainly include all aspects of funeral folklore and marriage folklore.Through the application of the theory of the “representative culture-oriented” writing styleof folklore ethnography to the case of Zhaogezhuang folklore, this paper makes the followingargument: it is relatively easy to apply suggestions for writing that are associated with thetheory, but it more difficult to use when recording folklore survivals from the past and clearlyexplaining the reasons for transformations in folklore in the context of modernization. Becauselimits of time, this ethnography of Zhaogezhuang folklore departs from the theory of the “representative culture-oriented” writing style of folklore ethnography in some aspects, such asin its degree of detail, its comprehensive nature, and so on.Folklore change, folklore protection, and folklore use all have important connections withthe recording of folklore. Folklore change is inevitable, which leads to efforts to protect andrecord folklore protection; thus folklore ethnography connects with folklore change as one ofthe important methods for the protection of folklore. The folklore preserved in folkloreethnographies cannot exist only as research material, however, but also can play a morepractical role, which involves folklore use. Therefore, as one of the important methods for theprotection of folklore, folklore ethnography is an important medium that connects folklorechange and folklore use; it also is an indispensable and important part of the process ofreflecting on the value of changing folklore.