Urban Legends – American and/or Global Folklore

Abstract

Development of modern technology, foremostly that of the Internet, has made feasible and, up to now, unimaginable reciprocity in the field of anthropological research. If only the wealthy scientific communities were be privy to a global research, while the rest of the world was deprived, the fast flow of information has made possible that each of its users be in the possession of relevant information for the study of, until now, unapproachable turfs, such as the US. Urban legends epitomize a paramount illustration of the possibility of examining American folklore from any world viewpoint, not least Serbia. That is possible for urban legends generated in America, are disseminated through the classic channels of globalization, and through the aforementioned World Wide Web. The study of urban legends activates reflexivity of traditional anthropological subject – diffusion, in the shape of dissecting reception and evolution of pursuit of generating native urban legends. Such a stance is taken by the study of urban legends in Serbia.