• Journal of Korean Classical Literature and Education
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• no.39
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• pp.41-66
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• 2018

This paper investigates how narrative folk songs have been transmitted and enjoyed through literature data and field research, and discusses their educational significance. Narrative folk songs have changed from songs that were enjoyed by common women to songs enjoyed by upper class men according to the times. They have ranged from tragic songs lamenting hardships to comic songs that relieve oppression, depending on the performance situation. Moreover, narrative folk songs have been enjoyed through media transmission beyond traditional custom. Narrative folk songs have not been enjoyed in one fixed way, but rather in various ways depending on the situation, so they have functioned to enable common women, who are their main singers, to share emotions, communicate, and maintain their community. Therefore, in literature education, narrative folk songs can be used as very appropriate materials for learners to reflect on themselves, communicate with others and contribute to desirable community life. By experiencing the various ways of enjoying narrative folk songs, learners will be able to grow into subjects who actively solve their own problems and those of their communities.