Folk Tales and Fairy Tales as Transmitters of Cultural Values Acculturation Process Through Bedtime Reading
Folk Tales and Fairy Tales as Transmitters of Cultural Values Acculturation Process Through Bedtime Reading

Summary/Abstract: The article studies the reflection of cultural values in folk tales and fairy tales. Based on the analysis of 20 original Slovak folk tales collected and slightly adapted by Pavol Dobšinský, we compared the values discovered in the texts with a set of values ascribed to the Slovak culture by two external (non-members of the culture) authors. Their insight and evaluation of the most important cultural values were considered as more objective than any local source due to the emotional load associated with any cultural matters. The article presents the variety of protagonists, both heroes and villains whose behaviour clearly exemplifies the appreciated behaviour patterns driven by values in contrast with the most detested ones. Those positive and negative messages help the mind of children to discover the unspoken standards of their culture as part of the acculturation process. Our results show that though the folk tales were created a long time ago they still carry relevant ideas worth transmitting to further generations.

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