The Global Village of Ghost Stories: Folklore and Media in the Digital Age – Elizabeth Tucker – 2018, Edited by Jeannie Banks and Janet W. Collins
What the Book Explores
“The Global Village of Ghost Stories” examines the enduring power of ghost stories across cultures and their transformation in the age of digital media. The collection of essays investigates how folklore adapts, disseminates, and evolves through platforms like the internet, social media, and video games. It explores themes of fear, belief, cultural memory, and the construction of the supernatural, analyzing how these narratives reflect anxieties and concerns specific to our contemporary moment.
Historical / Cultural Context
The study of folklore is deeply rooted in the 19th-century efforts to collect and preserve oral traditions, driven by a fear that modernization would erase these cultural expressions. This work builds upon that tradition, acknowledging the increasingly prominent role of digital technologies in shaping and transmitting folklore. The concept of a “global village,” coined by Marshall McLuhan, is particularly relevant, as it describes the shrinking of the world due to instantaneous electronic media—a condition where local ghost stories can now rapidly circulate globally, influencing and being influenced by other traditions. The collection acknowledges that ghost stories aren’t static artifacts; they are constantly being remade in response to changing cultural landscapes. The rise of the internet and social media provides an unprecedented space for both the preservation and the reinvention of these narratives.
Who This Book Is For
This work is best suited for readers with an academic or professional interest in folklore, media studies, cultural studies, or anthropology. While accessible to a general audience interested in ghost stories, the essays employ theoretical frameworks and in-depth analyses that demand some prior familiarity with these disciplines. It is particularly relevant for those interested in the intersection of traditional storytelling and new technologies, and the impact of digital media on cultural beliefs.
Further Reading
- The Study of Folklore by Alan Dundes (1965) – A foundational text in folklore studies, outlining methodologies and theoretical approaches.
- Haunted Media: Electronic Presence from Telegraphy to Television by Jeffrey Sconce (2000) – Explores the historical relationship between media technologies and the supernatural.
- Digital Folklore edited by Trevor J. Blank and Roberta J. Pearson (2009) – Provides further exploration of folklore in the digital age.
Disclaimer.
Oraclepedia is an independent educational and cultural project. The material presented explores myths, belief systems, symbolic traditions, and aspects of human perception from historical, cultural, and psychological perspectives.
Content is provided for informational and reflective purposes only and does not promote specific beliefs, spiritual practices, or ideological positions. Interpretations presented reflect scholarly, cultural, or symbolic analysis rather than factual claims about the natural world.