Folk Communication on the Threshold of the 21st Century

Forty years ago, Luiz Beltrão published the book *Communication and Folklore*, a foundational work in the theory of Folk Communication. Since then, various events have transformed the field of Social Communication. Communication technologies, social networks, and convergence mechanisms—in addition to aspects related to the defense and self-affirmation of social and cultural identities—are increasingly present in the contemporary world, while popular practices, such as handicrafts, gain strength and relevance. The articles gathered in the book *Folk Communication on the Threshold of the 21st Century* seek to be attentive to these new communicational realities, without losing focus on the teachings of Luiz Beltrão. The objective of the researchers—all linked to the Network of Studies and Research in Folk Communication (Rede Folkcom) or to the Postgraduate Program in Communication at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora—is to update Beltrão's thought, addressing new and old objects of study from other perspectives.