Interview with Frank Proschan

Asian Ethnology Podcast

Interviewer: Frank Korom, co-editor Asian Ethnology

Recorded 24 March 2018, Washington DC

Intro :59

Early interest in anthropology, folklore, and folklife; work at the Smithsonian Institution 2:23

Study at The University of Texas 3:42

Learning and speaking languages; return to the Smithsonian 11:18

Travel to Southeast Asia; programs at the Smithsonian; work on the Kammu 15:19

Move to Indiana University’s Research Center for Semiotics and Language Studies; Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and “Save Our Sounds” Project (Smithsonian) 21:10

Work at the office responsible for implementing UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage 26:45

Negative “baggage” related to terms like folklore,” the introduction of “intangible cultural heritage,”and examples from different countries 34:55

Preserving intangible cultural heritage: Issues related to implementation 39:40

Outro 50:21

Music used with kind permission of the performer, shamisen master Koji Yamaguchi.

Copyright 2019 by Asian Ethnology Podcast