Making Worlds that Make Sense

As people create knowledge and understanding, they create more than just ‘the facts.' What people take as real or true or common sense grows from the social worlds they model: how they connect to each other and perceive belonging. What becomes real emerges as people interact, and is as much about developing relationships and identities as it is about ‘objective' reality.

Such modeling, often the subject of folkloric analysis, is equally found in social realms not thought of as folkloric. People model worlds in vernacular terms that fit their perceptions of themselves and those they see as like them. They may do so in ways that differ slightly or sharply or anywhere in between.

This volume, by anthropologists and folklorists, presents case studies of commemoration, language, academic knowledge, conspiracy theories, and nationalism, and a discussion of relevant academic literature. It is intended for undergraduates, graduate students, and scholars in these and related fields.