RESEARCH PARADIGMS OF FOLKLORE THEORY IN THE MODERN ERA: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND PRIORITY DIRECTIONS

Abstract

This article comprehensively analyzes the theoretical-methodological foundations and research paradigms of folklore studies in the contemporary period. Moving beyond classical approaches to folk-lore research (mythological, historical-geographical, comparative), it underscores the necessity of new multidisciplinary, transnational, and transcultural methodologies. The study proposes that folklore be examined not merely as an archaic cultural phenomenon but as an ongoing, dynamic social process and an integral component of modern culture. The article offers a re-evaluation of folklore from ontological and epistemological perspectives. To this end, new research models are put forth based on theories such as “Environment and Transformation,” “Genre and Morphology,” and “Performance and Social Func-tion.” Within the context of Azerbaijani folklore studies, transnational and transcultural approaches, the influence of the digital environment on folklore, and the research prospects of new genres and functions are systematically explored. These investigations propose significant directions for the integration of local folklore research into the global academic discourse. The multidisciplinary research direction high-lights the importance of strategies connected to fields like philosophy, sociological anthropology, media studies, culturology, and gender studies for a deeper understanding of folklore. The primary priority of modern folklore studies is to perceive folklore not as a static object but as a living, constantly evolving process within its cultural, technological, and social contexts, and to develop appropriate theoretical frameworks for this purpose. This emphasizes the importance of studying the modern transformations of traditional folklore forms as well as entirely new emerging genres.