PRESERVING NARRATIVE HERITAGE: ART OF STORYTELLINGIN PAKISTANI FOLKLORE

Abstract

This ethnographic research aims at exploring the tradition of storytelling within Pakistani folklore focusing on its practices and changing patterns. Drawing upon the theoretical framework of global cultural flow by Arjun Appadurai, this research addresses the transmission and transition of oral narratives in the form of folk tales that have been passed down from generation to generation. For this study, the data was collected by conducting in-depth interviews and participant observation in Lal Kurti, Rawalpindi. The sample of the study consisted of 23 females belonging to diverse age, socioeconomic, educational, and ethnic backgrounds. The findings show that the tradition of storytelling played a significant role in constructing and shaping cultural identities in the past. Through folk narratives, people convey historical events, moral lessons, societal norms, and collective wisdom. However, this practice of storytelling has been transformingand diminishing due to the urbanization and technological advancements in society that have transformed the family structures in Pakistan.