Anthropological Structures in the Intangible Folk Culture of Southwestern Algeria

Abstract

Intangible folk heritage constitutes a fundamental field of interest in cultural anthropology, as it encompasses symbolic systems that reflect patterns of collective thought and frame individual behavior within society. This heritage should not be regarded merely as folkloric expressions or forms of entertainment; rather, it represents a profound semantic structure in which social, religious, and symbolic dimensions intersect, making it an essential approach to understanding culture in its entirety.
In the Algerian context, the significance of this heritage lies in its capacity to preserve the collective memory of the community and to serve as a means of reproducing values and norms, particularly in regions that continue to maintain traditional ways of life, as is the case in the Touat region.