ENGL 446
Appalachian Folklore
Catalog Entry
ENGL 446. Appalachian Folklore
Three hours lecture (3).
Prerequisit: ENGL 111 and ENGL 112.
Study of the mountain verbal lore of tales, ballads and sayings; nonverbal or partially verbal lore of customs, games and rituals; material lore of structure, designs and landscapes. Field collections and written analyses required. This course may be used to meet requirements for the minor in Appalachian Studies.
Note(s): Cultural or Behavioral Analysis designated course.
Detailed Description of Content of Course
This course involves close reading and study of the theory, history, and genres of folklore as a discipline and of selected folklore texts from the Appalachian region. The course also engages students in the study of historical and cultural contexts of Appalachian people who are the contemporary bearers of the region’s traditional lore, and requires each student to complete a field study of oral, customary, and material folklore.
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
Students read designated theoretical and descriptive texts about folklore as well as selected examples from the lore itself. In addition, they hear and see demonstrations of folklore in the classroom as well as the living tradition in its own setting. The students themselves provide a portion of the folklore texts from their own collections and analyze the significance of these. The course format combines the following:
Writing assignments for ENGL 446 include the following:
Students may make oral presentations to the class summarizing the contents of their essay(s). These presentations may be in the context of an informal class sharing session, a more formal presentation accompanied by slides, tapes, photographs, artifacts or other appropriate documentary information.
Each student will engage in a field collecting project of a particular kind of lore. The student will locate informants, establish as natural a context as possible for collecting the lore, and document it in appropriate ways (recording, videotaping, photographing, etc.). Near the end of the term, each student will compile his/her findings into a manuscript that contains texts, informant information sheets, contextual information, review of library research, and analysis of the lore. Written progress reports may also be required periodically on the field project. If possible, copies of the students' written projects and supporting documentation will go into the Appalachian Folklife Archive at the RU Appalachian Regional Studies Center for use by other scholars and researchers.
Goals and Objectives of Course
Over the course of a semester, students will
Assessment Measures
Students' knowledge about theories and genres of folklore as applied to folk traditions manifested in the Southern Appalachian region will be evaluated through a number of writing assignments that may include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:
Other Course Information
Review and Approval
October, 2009
March 01, 2021