In this proseminar we explore some of the key moments in the evolution of
folklore studies in order to acquire a feel for the conceptual foundations
of our discipline. The method in every case is to appreciate the material
within its own intellectual context, and to adduce its essential
contribution to our understanding of folklore and how folklore arises and
operates in society. The arrangement of topics is roughly chronological,
which allows for a perception of the interactive qualities of intellectual
history, wherein one theory arises to address another theory.