Communication 248 - The Folklore of New England

This course examines the folklore of New England and adjacent regions. It introduces students to the fundamentals of the study of folklore, including notions of tradition, the vernacular, expressive culture, performance, storytelling, material lore, customs, folk groups, community, and worldview. It surveys folklore genres including legend, myth, folktale, folk songs and ballads, proverbs, folk medicine, superstition, folk arts and crafts, rituals, holidays, festivals, and foodways. It illustrates these ideas and provides a history of the folklore of New England, including the precolonial and colonial periods as well as those of immigrant and recent groups to the region. Throughout the semester, we consider issues of gender, race, class, ethnicity, and related manifestations of social diversity?or lack thereof?in New England. We also analyze the role that folklore plays in creating, maintaining, challenging, and changing social norms and values. As such, this course assumes a critical perspective on folklore and on the concept of New England itself. (Gen. Ed. SB)