‘লোকশিল্প' ধারণার পুনর্মূল্যায়ন ও একটি প্রস্তাবনা

Abstract

This article proposes to study the ‘folk' as ‘living being' in terms of its own environment, economic status and culture. It emphasizes on the idea that the researchers should not search for the 'folk' by tradition, rather make an attempt to understand the culture and the creation of the ‘folk' as they exist in the whole society. The main objective of this article is to propose the in-depth research and study on the existing culture of the 'folk'. In this context, the present article claims the necessity of re-evaluating the basic trends of the theories of foreign and domestic researchers. In order to justify the re-evaluation of the concept of ‘folklore’, two field-work experiences are included in the article. Besides, the article discusses on some issues like the relevance of folklore, the context of folk art collection in Bengal, the political and social motivation behind this collection, the evolution of the concept of folk art, the definition of popular culture, the difference between 'folk' and 'popular' etc.