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  • Folklore and Ethnology of the Modern World: A Theory of Cultural Engagement

    Folklore and Ethnology of the Modern World by Bronner, Simon J.;

    A Theory of Cultural Engagement

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      • Publisher's listprice GBP 39.99
      • The price is estimated because at the time of ordering we do not know what conversion rates will apply to HUF / product currency when the book arrives. In case HUF is weaker, the price increases slightly, in case HUF is stronger, the price goes lower slightly.

        19 105 Ft (18 195 Ft + 5% VAT)
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    19 105 Ft

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    Availability

    Estimated delivery time: In stock at the publisher, but not at Prospero's office. Delivery time approx. 3-5 weeks.
    Not in stock at Prospero.

    Why don't you give exact delivery time?

    Delivery time is estimated on our previous experiences. We give estimations only, because we order from outside Hungary, and the delivery time mainly depends on how quickly the publisher supplies the book. Faster or slower deliveries both happen, but we do our best to supply as quickly as possible.

    Product details:

    • Edition number 1
    • Publisher Routledge
    • Date of Publication 29 December 2025

    • ISBN 9781032625584
    • Binding Paperback
    • No. of pages222 pages
    • Size 234x156 mm
    • Weight 410 g
    • Language English
    • Illustrations 21 Illustrations, black & white; 21 Halftones, black & white
    • 801

    Categories

    Short description:

    In Folklore and Ethnology of the Modern World, Simon Bronner identifies “cultural engagements” that people use to reconcile tradition and modernity, and confront the anxieties of the present by bringing together the past, often represented by tradition, and the immediate digital, unreal future.

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    Long description:

    In Folklore and Ethnology of the Modern World, Simon Bronner identifies “cultural engagements” that people use to reconcile tradition and modernity and confront the anxieties of the present by bringing together the past, often represented by tradition, and the immediate digital, unreal future. These socially bounded, symbol-laden practices integrate ritual, play, narrative, and object with the instrumental purpose of confronting paradoxes and tensions of modern life. They provide the basis for a theory of how people cope culturally with change that appears to be outside of their control.


    Bronner explains the social and psychological complexities of cultural engagements with case studies from different parts of the world connected by their often politicized clash between tradition and modernity. The book explains the growth of strongman contests invoking mythology, the evolving meaning of Chinese puzzle balls, the responses to suppression of naval hazing traditions in Europe and America, the ubiquitous infusion of magical thinking into email practices, the “meme diplomacy” in the border wars between India and Pakistan and the projection of conflict onto cricket matches, and the global implications of the rise of “algorithmic folklore” in an AI future.


    This clear and accessible book is an essential read for anyone approaching the ethnological study of folklore and its interaction with modern society and culture.

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    Table of Contents:

    Preface and Acknowledgments


    Introduction: Folk to the Fore


    1 Engaging Body and Mind: The Folk Idea of the Past


    2 Engaging People and Power: The Folk Idea of the Present


    3 Engaging Place and Technology: The Folk Idea of the Future


    Epilogue

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