To put it simply, the term folklife refers to the life of folks. “Folk” most often means everyday people—friends, relatives, workers, artisans, bus drivers, skateboarders, sushi chefs, etc.—rather than elites and the privileged. But the ruling class has its folklife, too, of course. Rituals and traditions that create a sense of belonging. That’s the basic idea, and it applies to all humans on the planet.

Folklife can be defined as the things we make, say, and do in shared groups. Think: Making tortillas. Shouting sports chants. Doing up a Christmas tree. Or, in fancy terms: “the embellishment of the ordinary.”

Not just what you say, but how, when, why, and to whom you say it. Everyone has a name, but not everyone has a nickname. Who gets a nickname? Who gives it? Who gets to call you by your nickname? Who doesn’t?

Not just what you eat, but who prepared it and how, then where, when, and how it gets eaten. Almost everyone eats, but do you eat meals as a family, with your friends or roommates, alone? What makes the meal “special”? Does one person usually do the cooking? Are the recipes passed down? Do you sit around a table together? Offer collective gratitude? Sit in a park and dip French fries in catsup?

All of this is folklife!

What particular flair do you bring to your everyday life?

In our busy, complicated world, it is easy to forget that we are indeed greater than the ideologies that divide us. Even when we strongly disagree with one another, to live together in this city (and on this planet), we must strive to uphold core principles that remind us of our fundamental rights as human beings.

A folklife festival like Tucson Meet Yourself offers “breathing space” to rub elbows with people who are like us and fundamentally different from us—all of whom call Tucson “home.” In that sense, the festival is something of a friendly and flavorful course—a three-day experiential learning intensive on the basics of democracy.
Here are four ideas we hope you experience and take home from Tucson Meet Yourself:

1. Every person has inherent dignity. We are worthy of one another’s curiosity.
   • Human beings are complicated, often swimming in our own contradictions. But our own ideas, norms, and beliefs make sense to us—just as another’s make sense to them, no matter how far apart we stand. Being curious and open-minded is the best gift we can give to each other.
2. Cultural traditions anchor us in meaning, but are not fixed.
   • Culture gives us a sense of belonging and connects us to something bigger than the here and now. But it’s a living thing, not a relic to grasp too tightly or place on the shelf to simply admire or forget. Culture changes, adapts, grows as we grow.
3. Humans are wired for beauty. Our folklife expresses its many forms.
   • Few of us just eat “anything,” wear “whatever,” or listen to music at random. We make choices that embellish our ordinary activities with flickers of color, style, and messaging—all of which communicate that we’re not just anyone, but someone.
4. Folklife tips the hierarchy of expertise. We all know a lot about something.
   • Few of us want to be told what our lives mean by those who haven’t lived our reality. Of course, we can stay open, pay attention to new ideas, and grow in our understanding of what we might have taken for granted or never thought about before. But folklife prioritizes respect for what each of us knows and experiences over any prescribed norms of what we “should” be.