MILLI FOLKLOR, no.99, pp.51-62, 2013 (AHCI)
It's a fact that nationalism is an important source of motivation in the appearance of folklore as a self-contained branch of science. While the folklore studies are completing it's first year in Turkey when the relationship between the folklore and nationalism, it's understood that folklore has a different structure from the west where it is instutionalised. This is because the folklore that drive the emergence of the idea of nationalism and the development of the west and Turkey showing different ways. Together with the geographical discoveries, colonical movements, nationalism and appearance of the nation states in the west, the idea of nationalism which is rooted in the west, capitalism and globalization progress in the tradition has given way to the folklore studies. In the west, the recognition of the emerging interest, the awareness of public information then has led the process of self-recognition. However, the idea of nationalism in the west, the situation with the economic expansion has caused folklore studies to reach beyond the borders. In the west, the political strategies of folklore studies as a means of nationalism fed back turned to the purpose of recognition of the other one. Orientalism of this process has emerged as the most systematic form. In Turkey, the idea of nationalism was born and developed in the axis of folklore studies. However, since nationalism in Turkey has emerged as a reflex of self-preservation, it hasn't been turned into motive to dominate the other. The framework will be examined within the scope of this study and the relationship between folklore and nationalism will be tried to be compared with the west.