This study analyzes folklore-related articles published in Köy Enstitüleri Dergisi between 1945 and 1947 within the framework of Early Republican educational and cultural policies in Turkey. Village Institutes were conceived not only as teacher-training institutions but also as centers aiming to transform rural socio-cultural life. The study investigates how the journal’s folklore writings were positioned within the period’s product-oriented compilation approach and cultural nationalism. The data consist of folklore texts from the first eight issues, limited to eight representative writings due to the article’s scope. Textual analysis indicates that priority was given to recording cultural products, while their social contexts were largely overlooked. Thus, the articles reflect the dominant product-centered folklore methodology of the time. Overall, the folklore writings in Köy Enstitüleri Dergisi provide insight into how folk culture was integrated with education and ideology in the Early Republican period.
Village Institutes, folklore articles, collection approach.