Culture and its accompanying behaviors, traditions, stories, etc. (folklore) are an integral part of who we are as human beings. This course encourages students to explore their own roots to determine:
how their primary cultures (race, ethnicity, nationality) have influenced their ancestors over the generations; and,
how their subcultures (religion, family, occupations, etc.) have been formed and influenced by the intergenerational folklore passed down from ancestors.
To accomplish these goals, students will be encouraged to apply course theory to their own lives and the lives of their forebears in personal application essays.
Course Content
Module 1
The Value of Folklore Within A Culture
Course Overview
• Short Explanation of Course Value
Definitions of Terms
• Acculturation
• Culture
• Enculturation
• Ethnocentrism
• Folklore
• Folkways
• Legend
• Mores
• Myth
• Norms
• Rules
• Rumor
• Subculture
Importance of the Role of Culture in the Subject
• Ethnicity
• Nationality
• Race
Subculture (or Sub-culture)
Folklore/Folkways as a Cohesive Element for the Culture
• Architecture
• Art
• Artifacts
• Behavior
• Beliefs
• Clothing
• Food
• Language
• Laws
• Music/Entertainment
• Nonverbal Communication
• Religion
• Sports/Group Activities
• Stories
• Values
• Ways of Thinking
The Relationship of Culture to Folklore and Vice Versa
Module 2
How Culture Affected Our Immigrant Ancestors’ Lives
Definitions of Terms
• Acculturation
• Cultural Identity
• Culture Shock
• Cultural Script
• Ethnocentrism
• Intercultural Communication
• Meta-message
• Self-Concept
Elements of a Culture
• Assumption of Similarities
• Language Differences
• Nonverbal Misinterpretations
• Preconceptions and Stereotypes
• Tendency to Evaluate
• High Anxiety
Module 3
Cultural Assimilation
Definitions of Terms
• Collectivist vs. Individualist Cultures
• Context (High vs. Low Context Cultures)
• Cultural Assimilation
• In-Group
Power Distance in Cultures
• Social Needs
• Inclusion
• Affection
• Control
Uncertainty Avoidance
How the Terminology and Theories are Applicable to the Lives of Our Immigrant Ancestors and Their Folkways
Creating the Bigger Picture as it Relates to Your Own and Your Ancestors’ Lives
Module 4
Family Folklore and Bormann’s Theory of Symbolic Convergence
Definitions of Terms
• Fantasy (Theme) Chains
• Fantasy Themes (Fantasy Theme Analysis)
• Fantasy Types
• Group Fantasies
• Inside Joke
• Organizational Saga
• Rhetorical Community
• Rhetorical Vision
• Sacred Myth
Symbols
• Symbolic Convergence
Background of the Research Method and Detailed Discussion, with Examples, of How the Terminology and Theory are Applicable to the Lives of Our Ancestors and Their Folkways
Creating the Bigger Picture as it Relates to Your Own and Your Ancestors’ Lives
Module 5
Family Folklore and Joseph Campbell’s Theories of Heroes
Definitions of Terms
• Becoming
• Being
• Bliss
• Dream
• Hero
• Immortality
• Journey
• Myths (Yet Another Perspective)
• Oneness
Background of the Research Method and Detailed Discussion, with Examples, of How the Terminology and Theory are Applicable to the Lives of Our Ancestors and Their Folkways
Creating the Bigger Picture as it Relates to Your Own and Your Ancestors’ Lives
Module 6
Connection Between Ancestor and Legends and Our Lives Today
Definitions of Terms
• Belief Legends
• Folk Process
• Knowledge Legends
Background of the Research Method and Detailed Discussion, with Examples, of How the Terminology and Theory are Applicable to the Lives of Our Ancestors and Their Folkways
Creating the Bigger Picture as it Relates to Your Own and Your Ancestors’ Lives
Concluding Remarks
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