Courses in Folklore and Ethnomusicology use fascinating approaches to understanding culture, history, and music. Introductory classes consider the broad roles of folklore and music in human lives.
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Our courses examine specific traditions in places such as the United States, Ireland, the Caribbean, China, or Africa. In looking at how traditions are created and carried forward, we pay close attention to topics that touch our lives every day: health and illness, superstition, urban legends, social movements, commemoration, the internet, cultural diversity, and more.
The popular courses below give a sense of what is available to undergraduates interested in the rich history of stories, music, and other forms of expression around the world.
While most social science disciplines consider supernatural belief to be either historical or marginal, it would seem that a substantial proportion of the North American population, of all ages and social classes, share in these traditions. By examining patterns of belief and the features of supernatural folklore, this course will attempt to understand the nature of surviving and declining tradition.
This course will examine processes and patterns of cultural creativity in relation to concepts of space, place, environment, landscape, and region. Our topics will include folk/vernacular architecture, rituals, festivals, toponyms (place names), myths, legends, and folksongs with case studies drawn from around the world.
I have learned so much from my Folklore classes. The most significant thing I have learned is to study what I love. Because of this major, I know that the possibilities for the future are endless.
Emily Coleman, B.A. 2013 (High Distinction)
The College of Arts