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The course listing that follows includes the full range of folklore courses: undergraduate only, mixed undergraduate and graduate,and graduate only. Unless otherwise indicated, all classes offer three hours of course credit. Most of these classes are cross-listed with other departments; when this is the case, we've indicated the home department (and the cross-listed number) in parentheses after the course title. At the end of each description, we list the semester in which these courses are typically taught. Please keep in mind that these listings are only estimations; we can never guarantee which classes are taught in any given semester, particularly for courses whose home departments are other than our own. So take these calendrical listings with a grain of salt, recognizing that "exceptions" are often an academic rule . . . If neither Fall nor Spring is specified, then the listed class is probably not offered on an annual or semi-annual basis. Please note that every semester, we are fortunate to benefit from the presense of the Lehman Brady Professor in Documentary Studies, a collaborative initiative of Duke's Center for Documentary Studies and UNC's Department of American Studies. In the Spring 2009, Alice Gerrard will be joining us for a course on music. 130 ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE CARIBBEAN (ANTH 130).Theories and examples of how Caribbean people live, act, and see themselves within various cultural, social, economic, and political contexts across time. Attention to North American views of the Caribbean. Slocum. 230 NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURES (ANTH 230). Broad survey of contemporary American Indian societies and cultures in the U.S. Explores sociocultural and historical diversity of tribes through film, autobiography, literature, current issues, guest speakers, archaeology, and history. Lambert. 323 MAGIC, RITUAL, AND BELIEF (ANTH 323) . Starting with the late 19th century evolutionists, this course discusses, intensively, major anthropological theories of magico-religious thought and practice, and then offers an approach of its own. Evens. 334 ART, MYTH, AND NATURE: CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES (ANTH 334). Cross-cultural study of form, image, and meaning in painting, drawing, and sculpture. Emphasis on the interrelationship of religion and art in selected prehistoric and contemporary sociocultural traditions. Johnson. 340 SOUTHERN STYLE, SOUTHERN CULTURE (ANTH 340). An anthropological and folkloristic journey into the worlds of Southern meaning, exploring the linked realms of aesthetics, faith, class, gender, and the politics of culture. An introduction to anthropology, with fieldwork required. Hinson. 342 AFRICAN AMERICAN RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE (AFAM
342, ANTH 342, RELI 342). Prerequisite: students must have
taken at least one course in AFAM, ANTH, or RELI. Introduction to the
diversity of African American beliefs, experiences, and expressio 375 FOOD IN AMERICAN CULTURE (AMST 375). This course examines the history and meaning of food in American culture, and explores the ways in which food shapes national, regional, and personal identity. M. Ferris. 691 HONORS PROJECT IN FOLKLORE . Ethnographic and/or library research, and analysis of the gathered materials, leading to a draft of an honors thesis. Open only to honors candidates, this course requires permission of the instructor. 692 HONORS THESIS IN FOLKLORE . Prerequisite, FOLK 495. Writing of an honors thesis based on independent research conducted in FOLK 495. Open only to senior honors candidates. Students will work under the direction of a Folklore faculty member. Mixed Graduate/Undergraduate Classes 428 RELIGION AND ANTHROPOLOGY (ANTH 428, RELI 428). Religion studied anthropologically as a cultural, social, and psychological phenomenon in the works of classical and contemporary social thought. Peacock and Tyson. 429 CULTURE AND POWER IN SOUTHEAST ASIA (ANTH 429, ASIA 429). The formation and transformation of values, identities, and expressive forms in Southeast Asia in response to forms of power. Emphasis on the impact of colonialism, the nation-state, and globalization. Peacock, Nonini, Wiener.
435 CONSCIOUSNESS AND SYMBOLS (ANTH 435, CMPL 435). This course explores consciousness through symbols. Symbols from religion, art, politics, and self are studied in social, psychological, historical, and ecological context to ascertain meanings in experience and behavior. Peacock. 454 HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE UNITED STATES (GEOG 454). A study of selected past geographies of the United States with emphasis on the significant geographic changes in population, cultural, and economic conditions through time. Florin. 455 ETHNOHISTORY (ANTH 455). Integration of data from ethnographic and archaeological research with pertinent historical information. Familiarization with a wide range of sources of ethnohistorical data and practice in obtaining and evaluating information. Pertinent theoretical concepts are explored. Crumley. 470 MEDICINE AND ANTHROPOLOGY (ANTH 470). This course examines cultural understandings of health, illness, and medical systems from an anthropological perspective with a special focus on western medicine. Finkler. 473 ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE BODY AND THE SUBJECT (ANTH 473). Anthropological and historical studies of cultural constructions of bodily experience and subjectivity are reviewed, with emphasis on the genesis of the modern individual and cultural approaches to gender and sexuality. 484 DISCOURSE AND DIALOGUE (ANTH 484, LING 484). Study of cultural variation in styles of speaking applied to collection of ethnographic data. Talk as responsive social action and its role in the constitution of ethnic and gender identities. Sawin. 485 INTRODUCTION TO FOLKLORE (ANTH 485, ENGL 485). An introduction to the study of creativity and aesthetic expression in everyday life, considering both traditional genres and contemporary innovations in the material, verbal, and musical arts. 487 FOLK NARRATIVE (ENGL 487). The study of three genres of folk narrative (fairytale, personal narrative, and legend) and their distinctive roles in contemporary life. Sawin. 495 TOPICS IN FOLKLORE. An irregularly offered class exploring selected topics in the theory and practice of folklore 495 FIELD RESEARCH. A rarely-used course designation for a directed field research project undertaken under the supervision of a Folklore faculty member. 496 DIRECTED READINGS IN FOLKLORE. An intensive directed readings course conducted under the supervision of a Folklore faculty member. 502 MYTHS AND EPICS OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST (RELI 502). An examination of Babylonian, Canaanite, Egyptian, Hittite, and Sumerian texts from the pre-Biblical era, focusing on representative myths, epics, sagas, songs, proverbs, prophecies, and hymns. 525 CULTURE AND PERSONALITY (ANTH 525). Systems theory used to conceptualize the relationship between cultural patterns and individual minds. Functional, dysfunctional, and therapeutic processes considered. Drawing examples from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Native America, this class utilizes lectures, films, and recitations. Daniels. 537 GENDER AND PERFORMANCE (ANTH 537, WMST 438). A study of the ways in which individuals constitute themselves as gendered subjects in the contemporary context of economic and cultural globalization. Sawin.
550 TRADITIONAL CRAFTSMANSHIP, Introduction to Material Culture . An introduction to material folk culture, exploring the meanings that people bring to traditional arts and the artful creations with which they surround themselves (e.g., architecture, clothing, altars, tools, food). 560 SOUTHERN LITERATURE AND THE ORAL TRADITION . This seminar considers how Southern writers employ folklore genres such as folktales, sermons, and music and how such genres provide structure for literary forms like the novel and the short story. Ferris. 562 ORAL HISTORY AND PERFORMANCE (COMM 562, HIST 562, WMST 562). This course combines readings and field work in oral history with study of performance as a means of interpreting and conveying oral history texts. Emphasis on women's history. 565 RITUAL, THEATRE, AND PERFORMANCE IN EVERYDAY LIFE (COMM 565). Prereq. COMM 160 or ENGL 126. This course explores the dynamics of performance as it is broadly produced within the texture of individual experiences, the interaction of community memberships, and the dramas of cultural aesthetics. 571 SOUTHERN MUSIC (HIST 571). Explores the history of music in the American South from its roots to twentieth century musical forms, revealing how music serves as a window on the region's history and culture. Ferris. 
585 BRITISH AND AMERICAN FOLKSONG (ENGL 585). Explores the forms, functions, and relationships of British and American folksongs, charting the emergence of Anglo- and African American vernacular musics and the dynamic processes of tradition, creolization, innovation, and revival. 587 FOLKLORE IN THE SOUTH (ENGL 587). An issue-oriented study of Southern folklore, exploring the ways that vernacular artistic expression (from barns and barbecue to gospel and well-told tales) come to define both community and region. 589 AFRICAN AMERICAN FOLKLORE (ENGL 589) . A study of folklore within the Black community, concentrating on African and slave backgrounds, and covering rural and urban folktales, spirituals, work songs, blues, toasts, and folk beliefs. Harris. 610 VERNACULAR TRADITIONS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC (AFAM 610). Explores performance traditions in African American music, tracing the music's development from African song through blues, jazz, gospel, and contemporary vernacular expression. Focuses on continuity, creativity, and change within African American aesthetics. Hinson. 670 INTRODUCTION TO ORAL HISTORY (HIST 670). Introduces students to the uses of interviews in historical research. Questions of ethics, interpretation, and the construction of memory will be explored, and interviewing skills will be developed through fieldwork. Hall. 675 ETHNOGRAPHIC METHOD (ANTH 675). Intensive study and practice of the core research methods of cultural and social anthropology. 684 WOMEN IN FOLKLORE AND LITERATURE (ENGL 684, WMST 684). The images of women depicted in the folk imagination from ancient times to the present: sorcerers, conjurers, witches, sexual objects, tricksters, healers, heroines, avengers, and carriers of family tradition. 688 OBSERVATION AND INTERPRETATION OF RELIGIOUS ACTION (ANTH 688, RELI 688). Exercises (including fieldwork) in learning to read the primary modes of public action in religious traditions (e.g. sermons, testimonies, rituals, and prayers). Peacock. 690 STUDIES IN FOLKLORE . An irregularly offered graduate class exploring selected topics in the theory and practice of folklore. This number also indicates the graduate section of courses taught by the visiting Lehman Brady Professor in Documentary Studies, a collaborative initiative of Duke's Center for Documentary Studies and UNC's Department of American Studies.
790 PUBLIC FOLKLORE . A graduate seminar addressing theory and praxis in public sector cultural work. Focusing on public folklore, this course explores broad issues of representation, cultural politics, and cultural tourism. Hinson. 841 PERFORMANCE ETHNOGRAPHY (COMM 841). This seminar focuses on methods of ethnography and fieldwork ethics. Performance as theory and practice informs methodological inquiries as well as the analysis of specific ethnographic texts and case studies. 842 SEMINAR IN PERFORMANCE AND CULTURAL STUDIES (COMM 842). This course focuses on performance-related issues in the emergent field of cultural studies. 843 SEMINAR IN PROBLEMS IN CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE THEORY (COMM 843). An advanced graduate seminar, this course will address recent developments and problems in performance theory. It will consider cross- and multidisciplinary approaches to performance as sites for consideration and debate. Pollock, Long, Madison. 850 APPROACHES TO FOLKLORE THEORY. A systematic overview of the major issues and perspectives informing two centuries of folklore study, including: social base, tradition, evolution, diffusion, structure, function, interpretation, performance, feminism, and ideology. Fall. Sawin. 860 ART OF ETHNOGRAPHY (ANTH 860). A
field-based exploration of the pragmatic, ethical, and theoretical
dimensions of ethnographic research, addressing issues of experience,
aesthetics, authority, and worldview through the lens of cultural
encounter. Field research required. Spring. Hinson. Spring 2010 Courses: Fall 2009 Courses: Spring 2009 Courses: AMST 499: Documenting Traditional
Music: Field Recordings and Performance
690 No Place Like Home: Material Culture of the American South . This seminar will explore the unique worlds of southern material culture, probing how artifacts from barns to biscuits provide insights into the changing social and cultural history of te American South. M. Ferris. 690 American Communities: A Photographic Approach . This course explores the theory and practice of documentary photography. In this small class, students will complete a documentary photographic study of a community outside the university. We will discuss the documentary tradition and classic documentary books while emphasizing photographs produced by students in the course. Bamberger 690 History of North Carolina Architecture . The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with broad patterns in North Carolina--and thus American--architecture, including dominant vernacular building types, typological and stylistic trends, and key landmarks of traditional, popular, and high-style architecture. We will examine these chronologically and thematically in the context of a changing physical and social landscape. Bishir AMST 499 Freedom Stories . This documentary writing course focuses on race and "storytelling" in the South. Looking at both fiction and autobiography in addition to traditional history books, students learn to examine the way Southerners have used historical narratives to find meaning in the past and possibility in the future. The course will focus especially on the ways that Southerners have tried to transform American politics and culture. Tyson COMM 769 Performance and Social Control . In this course, we will explore how performance is used as a means to construct, control, and coerce the actions of social formations, with a particular focus on the emergence of a performance-saturated society haracterized by cultures of surveillance, global capital consumption and production, and "terror war." We will consider a broad range of performance technologies and apparatuses, including those that rely on violent spectacle as well as those that operate to script the performances of our everyday lives (sometimes without our even knowing it). Tony Perucci GEOG 814 Uneven Development: Political Economy & Material Life in World-Historical Perspective, 1450-2006 . This seminar explores three axes of large-scale social change in the modern world: 1) capitalisms tendency towards uneven geographical development; 2) the political economy of recurrent waves of crisis, restructuring, and geographical expansion over the past six centuries; and 3) the ways in which the political economy of uneven development shapes, and is shaped by, transformations of material life broadly conceived. Engaging the three intellectual currents of the tradition of geographical political economy, world-historical studies, and the notion of material life, we will address the substantive issues of environmental crisis, imperialism, colonialism, population movements and family change, agrarian unrest, transitions to capitalism, the geopolitics and political economy of globalization, the dialectics of multi-scalar change (e.g. the local-global dialectic), work and labor movements, the town-country division of labor, and phases of capitalist development. Moore. JOMC 490.5 Communication Technologies in a
Changing World. This course will address the global impact of
communications technologies in transforming politics, business and
society. Based on social, legal,
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from the colonial era to the present. Exploration will be
historical and thematic. Curtis, Hinson, Maffly-Kipp. 
