ENGLISH 591: Pathways to Folklore Scholarship

Pathways to Folklore Scholarship introduces theories and approaches that are central to the practice of folklore.  If you have ever wondered not only what folklore is, but how it emerged as an academic discipline, Pathways to Folklore Scholarship will provide those answers.  It will also introduce you to the wide variety of work that folklorists do in academic and public sector settings in the U.S. and abroad.

The first weeks of the semester will be dedicated to exploring the historic premises of folklore as an academic discipline.  Contemporary folkloristics emerged in the 19th century as an expression of romantic nationalism, and became an official tool of state building in Europe well into the 20th century. We will read various article and texts that examine folklore as a tool for nationalist projects, such as those of the Third Reich, as well as in the development of the former Soviet Union and communist regimes of Eastern Europe.

We will then consider the emergence of folklore in the U.S. as a distinctly (and often apolitical) interdisciplinary field bridging anthropological research and literary criticism, and the expansion of public sector folklore through the New Deal and the development of cultural heritage programs.  The course will explore the role of the folksong revival of the mid-20th century, and the rapid expansion of academic programs in folklore in the U.S. in the 1960s. We will extend these discussions to consider contemporary approaches to folklore study and collection, as well as the current theoretical developments in the discipline.

Assignments will include weekly response papers, a class presentation, and a graduate term paper (~15 pages).

ENGLISH 333: Folklore of the Americas

Have you ever had a professor challenge you to a riddle contest?  Can you remember the last time you were invited to tell a joke in class?  Have you ever written a research paper on the Bunnyman Bridge, tailgating traditions, your Grandmother's quilts or Grimms' Fairy Tales?

You've obviously never taken a folklore course.

English 333 is an advanced introduction to folklore, it introduces central concepts and approaches in contemporary folklore study in the Americas, with a particular focus on the United States and Mexico.  During the semester we’ll study folktales, legends, jokes, handmade objects and carnival, and together develop ways of understanding what lies beneath the deceptively simple surface of traditional materials such as songs, stories, quilts, woodcarvings, and festivals.  English 333 draws upon theoretical perspectives from folklore scholarship, literature, and anthropology.  The class explores the concept of tradition and asks why some traditions have lasted into the present, how others have changed, and what their changes signify.  We'll also ask what functions traditions serve in their societies, what factors influence their content and their performance, and how people manipulate and invent traditions for their own ends.

Assignments will include a short (3-4 pp) paper, a longer (7-8 pp) term paper, and quizzes.