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|b An aspect of 'folkloric behavior ” (which may be verbal kinetic, social-interactional, mental/affective, or material) constitutes one of the most delicately balanced phenomena of human existencr. It is governed by societal, cultural, and psychological factors that determine its form and structure, contents, meaning, function, and duration. With reference to the study of Arabic oral traditions (folklore), a number of problems hamper the achievement of a truly objective approach of the study of such an aspect. These problems may be summarized, in part, as: -Fascination with Western claims/theories and consequent practical applications many of which may be fallacious -Presence of texts (verbal or non-verbal) that are forged. altered ("improved"), and uprooted from their contexts. -Inaccurate perceptions of key research concepts and methods, especially due to impressionistic or literal translations. -Absence of neutral competent evaluations of available literatures and dominance of the clique (neo-tribal) mentality and attitudes. Consequently, significant works have been shielded from the academic community, while other superficial writings received undeserved attention. The present work addresses a sample of these issues and offers some key concepts required for a meaningful study of Arab Traditions.
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