3 7 – 1 9 4 2 . ▁The ▁folk ▁music ▁movement , ▁festiv als , ▁and ▁the ▁w art ime ▁effort ▁were ▁seen ▁as ▁forces ▁for ▁social ▁goods ▁such ▁as ▁dem ocracy , ▁cultural ▁pl ural ism , ▁and ▁the ▁removal ▁of ▁culture ▁and ▁race - based ▁bar riers . ▁ ▁The ▁American ▁folk ▁music ▁rev ival ists ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁approached ▁folk ▁music ▁in ▁different ▁ways . ▁Three ▁primary ▁schools ▁of ▁thought ▁emer ged : ▁" Tr ad itional ists " ▁( e . g . ▁Sarah ▁Ger tr ude ▁K not t ▁and ▁John ▁L om ax ) ▁emphas ized ▁the ▁pres ervation ▁of ▁songs ▁as ▁artifact s ▁of ▁dece ased ▁cult ures . ▁" Function al " ▁folk lor ists ▁( e . g . ▁Bot kin ▁and ▁Alan ▁L om ax ) ▁maintained ▁that ▁songs ▁only ▁retain ▁relev ance ▁when ▁util ized ▁by ▁those ▁cult ures ▁which ▁retain ▁the ▁trad itions ▁which ▁birth ed ▁those ▁songs . ▁ ▁" Left - wing " ▁folk ▁rev ival ists ▁( e . g . ▁Charles ▁Se eg er ▁and ▁Lawrence ▁G ell ert ) ▁emphas ized ▁music ' s ▁role ▁" in ▁' people ' s ' ▁strugg les ▁for ▁social ▁and ▁political ▁rights ". ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁these ▁and ▁others ▁had ▁turned ▁American ▁folk ▁music ▁into ▁a ▁social ▁movement . ▁ ▁Sometimes ▁folk ▁mus icians ▁became ▁sch ol ars ▁and ▁advoc ates ▁themselves . ▁For