Stories of Survival

by Kaolin Leo

This book builds the foundation of a methodology for the quantitativeanalysis of the folk narrative system. Just as anthropology uses analyses ofdifferent cultures to examine the human past; researchers could use analyses of ouroldest form of literature, the folk narrative, to examine aspects of worldwideculture and changes in culture over time. This bookdevelops a quantitative methodology based in part on small, grammaticallydefined units. For this type of analysis to be viable, careful consideration of manyaspects of the folk narrative system is required.Chapter One presents the qualities of the folk narrative that make it anapposite choice for investigations of worldwide cultures and cultural changes overtime. These qualities include: the fundamental importance and cross-cultural natureof the folk narrative; the reliable development of narrative ability in all humans;the ability of the folk narrative to convey information; and the large number ofcollected folk narratives as a resource.Chapter Two explores different styles of literary analysis with a focus onstructural content analysis and the types of information that have resulted from theuse of these different styles. Multiple types of structural analysis by both folkloristsand linguists are considered. The grammatical unit chosen for the methodologypresented in this paper - nominative case - is a specifically and externally defined, countable unit that is able to operate cross-culturally and that has connection tomeaning on a larger scale.Chapter Three is a paper in which nominative case in a random set of taleswas counted. This paper operates as a test of the unit and also serves to corroboratethe idea that the difference between the predominant gender in tales told by males and females is large enough to impact on a data set which does not control forgender.Chapter Four lays the groundwork for the expansion of the methodologyfrom a random set of tales in a large, academic library to a worldwiderepresentative data set using Murdock's compilation of cultural divisions(Murdock). In addition, the presented methodology is expanded to include themany interactive parts of what is termed the folk narrative system. Certain parts ofthe folk narrative system which should be considered are outlined but it is notedthat there are probably many more parts of the system which can be studied. Theexpansion of the methodology to an investigation of the folk narrative as a systemenables the quantitative analysis to remain connected to the matrix of culture, text, storyteller, environment and other factors. The result of any specific study is seenin the context of other influences that change as the investigated parts change. Thischapter concludes with a discussion of the way in which this methodology enablesone to access a wide range of information.