Alan Dundes

Alan Dundes (1934–2005) was an American folklorist and anthropologist whose scholarship helped shape modern folklore studies. He taught for many years at the University of California, Berkeley, where he trained generations of students and promoted folklore as a rigorous academic discipline. Dundes published widely on folk narratives, customs, jokes, and material culture, and he was especially known for applying structural and psychoanalytic approaches to traditional expressive forms. His work argued for the cultural and psychological significance of everyday traditions and emphasized careful analysis of meaning, context, and variation. Dundes remains a frequently cited figure in international folklore research.