Folk society
A folk society is a term used in sociology and anthropology to describe a close-knit community characterized by shared beliefs, traditions, and behaviors. Typically, these societies are small and often isolated from larger, more diverse populations, which fosters a strong sense of belonging and communal identity among members. The concept is heavily influenced by the work of anthropologist Robert Redfield, who identified key traits such as oral traditions, limited external contact, and a self-sufficient lifestyle. Members of folk societies often have deep familial ties and operate within a framework of shared norms and spiritual beliefs, with customs passed down through generations.
These societies tend to be stable in structure, with little motivation for capitalistic behavior, as individuals are interconnected by kinship or solidarity. The lack of written history means that cultural practices and values are largely maintained through memory and tradition. While folk societies can be resistant to change, they generally offer emotional and spiritual fulfillment to their members. Examples of folk societies can be found worldwide, from Native American tribes and rural communities in Quebec to contemporary groups like the Amish and certain Indigenous peoples in Australia. In contrast to folk societies, urban societies are more diverse and impersonal, highlighting the unique characteristics of folk communities.
Folk society
A folk society is a sociological or anthropological term for a community made up of individuals who share a very similar set of beliefs, behaviors, and traditions. The term usually refers to a group that is in some way isolated or separated from others. Its members share a strong bond with others within the community, and there is often a strong spiritual focus to nearly all aspects of their lives. In many instances, the concept of folk society references a preliterate community and one that those outside of it view as primitive.
Characteristics
The definition of the concept of a folk society grew largely out of the work of American anthropologist Robert Redfield. Chicago born and educated, Redfield spent his adult life teaching sociology and researching various cultures, mainly in Mexico. As the result of his work, Redfield identified a number of key characteristics that defined his concept of a folk society. According to Redfield, a folk society exhibits the following:
It is small in size and made up of members with a long history of association with each other and limited contact with those outside their group.
It is stable in makeup and inclusive of all those within the group.
It is consistent in values and knowledge among the membership. Knowledge, customs, and traditions are shared orally and passed down from generation to generation; there is little or no written documentation, and "history" includes only what has been remembered and passed down.
It is bound by tradition and convention; laws are not needed because the individual members all operate within the same set of group norms, spiritual beliefs, and social sanctions.
It is self-sufficient and provides for all its own needs, with each member sharing in all duties. There is no motivation for capitalistic behavior because all the members are tied to each other by birth or solidarity.
It is strongly rooted in family relations and interpersonal relations. Individual status is determined by one's place within a family and that family's status in the community.
It is often tied to a particular location.
It is spiritual rather than secular in nature, with a tendency to relate to nature, animals, and sometimes inanimate objects as if they have humanlike characteristics and abilities.
The members of a folk society are alike in many ways and even share physical characteristics, since the individuals remain so closely tied to the community that they intermarry. Their ways of thinking are so synchronized that knowing how a few members of the group think or what they believe is predictive of what nearly any other member will think or belief. This pool of shared knowledge and behavioral expectations means that the right way to act for each stage of life is defined, shared, and adhered to by all members. Each member of the group acts a certain way because "that's how we've always done it," and these behaviors, customs, and traditions generally go on without question. This largely eliminates any generation gap but also significantly limits any change or growth in the society. However, the membership generally remains content because the culture formed by the folk society works toward a common purpose—the welfare of all its members—and fulfills all of their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs at all stages of life.
Contrasts
In contrast, Redfield defined an urban society as one that is large and more impersonal, with greater diversity of membership. The members of an urban society, Redfield said, are more mobile and have greater division of labor as well as a need for economically interdependent behaviors involving trade or sale of merchandise. In between folk societies and urban societies, Redfield saw a transitional societal type that combined characteristics of the two. This transitional society was more distinct in its membership than an urban society but less independent than a folk society; Redfield referred to these as peasant societies.
Redfield also differentiated a folk society from a mob. Although mobs are also generally small groups holding similar viewpoints and acting for a common purpose, the mob is limited to acting on a particular interest at a specific point in time, with little or no long-term relationship between members. This lack of continuity and culture excludes mobs from the definition of a folk society, according to Redfield.
Examples
Folk societies have existed around the world. Redfield studied groups and cultures in Mexico; he also found folk societies in Chinese villages in the mid-twentieth century and among the indigenous people of the United States. For example, in his article "The Folk Society," Redfield cited the example of the Papago, a tribe of Native Americans from Arizona. This folk society's sense of unity and responsibility for each other was such that all members of the community had duties when it came to battle. The warriors went off to fight, but those left behind prayed, fasted, and had other specific duties they were expected to perform in support of those doing the actual fighting. This was done not only because of the close connections and kinship between the members but also because it was accepted and recognized that the war effort held a communal benefit that required the efforts of all for success.
Other examples of folk societies of the past include island communities in the Philippines, some of the nineteenth-century rural communities in Quebec, many of the Native American tribes across the United States, and the native residents of Alaska.
Contemporary examples of folk societies exist as well. The Amish communities across America still maintain many aspects of a folk society, although some engage in trading outside their communities and have assimilated other aspects of a more urban society. Some of the indigenous Aborigines of Australia also maintain the elements of a folk society.
Bibliography
Devere, Christian. "Robert Redfield et l'invention des 'sociétés paysannes.'" Etudes Rurales. Cairn.Info. 2009. Web. 29 Feb. 2016. https://www.cairn.info/revue-etudes-rurales-2009-1-page-41.htm
Redfield, Robert. "The Folk Society." American Journal of Sociology 52.4 (1947): 293–308. University of Chicago Press Journals. Web. 29 Feb. 2016. http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/220015
Redfield, Robert. "The Natural History of the Folk Society." Social Forces 31.3 (1953): 224–228. JStor. Web. 29 Feb. 2016. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2574218?seq=1#page‗scan‗tab‗contents
Sackley, Nicole. "Cosmopolitanism and the Uses of Tradition: Robert Redfield and Alternative Visions of Modernization during the Cold War." Modern Intellectual History 9.3 (2012): 565–595. Richmond School of Arts & Sciences. Web. 29 Feb. 2016. http://scholarship.richmond.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=history-faculty-publications
Wilcox, Clifford. Robert Redfield and the Development of American Anthropology. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2006. Print.