Encyclopedia of American Folklife

Defining folklife "socially as tradition-centered communities, locations, or groups and culturally as the skills, symbols, identities, and customs that characterize such groups," this four-volume encyclopedia contains approximately 270 essays on topics in American folklife as diverse as Croatian communities, ethnography and fieldwork, fans of automobile racing, the Internet, Little Havana, men and masculinity, fans of heavy metal, polka, snake-handling sects, Wiccans, and zydeco. The thematic concerns and scope of coverage included by editor Bronner (Pennsylvania State U.) are perhaps revealed in the headings found in the topic finder: animals; approaches and methods; arts and crafts; the body; cities; concepts and terms; customs and traditions; enclaves, boroughs, and towns; genres and expressive form; African American groups; age groups; ethnic and immigrant groups; gender and sexual groups; interest and ideological groups; Native American groups; occupational groups; organizational groups; refugee groups; social groups; health; holidays; institutions and applications; landscape and nature; language; materials; memorials and shrines; music and dance; narrative; regions; religion; sports and games; states, territories, and commonwealths; theories and disciplines; and vehicles and technology. Included in each volume are a general index, a cultural group index, and a geographical index. A general bibliography appears in the final volume, but each article also includes a bibliography of sources. Annotation c2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)