追求宏大理論抑或尊重地方性知識,是民俗學研究的"兩極"。面對民俗學,特別是美國民俗學在當代的式微,阿蘭·鄧迪斯等學者將造成這一現象的主因歸于民俗學者專注經驗材料的搜集與呈現,而未能有效建構超越日常實踐的宏大理論。作為將理論建構與經驗實證相結合的有益嘗試,鄧迪斯的民俗解析實踐啟發了民俗學者突破經驗世界的局限,以尋找獨立民俗現象的普遍意義,并為當代非物質文化遺產保護實踐及非遺內具之共享性,提供了可資借鑒的解釋框架和認識論范式。在此基礎上,非物質文化遺產的跨文化傳播即是民俗學理論建設與經驗實證相結合的新起點與新方向。

The pursuit of grand theory and the focus on local knowledge are two main trends in folkloristics.Encountering the decline of folklore as a discipline,especially in the United States,folklorists such as Alan Dundes attribute the crisis to the fact that the majority of their peers are more interested in collecting and presenting field data,instead of making(grand)theory out of practice.Dundes’practice interpreting folklore attempts to balance theory-making and field collections,inspiring folklorists to explore universal understandings of folklore items.Also,his work sheds light on today’s intangible cultural heritage safeguarding practice,which attempts to provide theoretical frameworks and epistemological paradigms in response to its nature of being shared.Built on the ideas of Dundes,the cross-cultural communication of intangible cultural heritage contributes to the emergence of new theories and practices in folkloristics.