民俗文化(Folk Cultures)

afolkcultureisasmallisolated,cohesive,conservative,nearlyself-sufficientgroupthatishomogeneousincustomandracewithastrongfamilyorclanstructureandhighlydevelopedrituals.orderismaintainedthroughsanctionsbasedinthereligionorfamilyandinterpersonal.

relationshipsarestrong.traditionisparamount,andchangecomesinfrequentlyandslowly.thereisrelativelylittledivisionoflaborintospecializedduties.rather,eachpersonisexpectedtoperformagreatvarietyoftasks,thoughdutiesmaydifferbetweenthesexes.mostgoodsarehandmadeandsubsistenceeconomyprevails.

individualismisweaklydevelopedinfolkculturesasaresocialclasses.unalteredfolkculturesnolongerexistinindustrializedcountriessuchastheunitedstatesandcanada.perhapsthenearestmodernequivalentinangloamericaistheamish,agermanamericanfarmingsectthatlargelyrenouncestheproductsandlaborsavingdevicesoftheindustrialage.

inamishareas,horsedrawnbuggiesstillserveasalocaltransportationdeviceandthefaithfularenotpermittedtoownautomobiles.theamishscentralreligiousconceptofdemut"humility",clearlyreflectstheweaknessofindividualismandsocialclasssotypicaloffolkculturesandthereisacorrespondingstrengthofamishgroupidentity.rarelydotheamishmarryoutsidetheirsect.thereligion,avarietyofthemennonitefaith,providestheprincipalmechanismformaintainingorder.

bycontrastapopularcultureisalargeheterogeneousgroupoftenhighlyindividualisticandapronouncedmanyspecializedprofessions.secularinstitutionsofcontrolsuchasthepoliceandarmytaketheplaceofreligionandfamilyinmaintainingorder,andamoney-basedeconomyprevails.becauseofthesecontrasts,"popular"maybeviewedasclearlydifferentfrom"folk".

thepopularisreplacingthefolkinindustrializedcountriesandinmanydevelopingnations.folk-madeobjectsgivewaytotheirpopularequivalent,usuallybecausethepopularitemismorequicklyorcheaplyproduced,iseasierortimesavingtouseorleadsmoreprestigetotheowner.