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The M.A. program in
Folklore stresses flexibility, inviting students to craft a
course-plan to meet their particular needs. Master's students
must complete ten courses (30 hours); of these, only two-"The
Art of Ethnography" and "Introduction to Folklore
Theory"-are required. Other courses must demonstrate a
rough balance between genre (e.g., Vernacular Traditions in
African American Music, Issues in Material Folk Culture), theory
(e.g., Consciousness and Symbols, Fictions of Gender), and practice
(e.g., Public Folklore, Oral History, Documentary Photography).
In addition to classes in the core curriculum, students traditionally
take courses from a variety of associated graduate programs,
including Anthropology,
Communications Studies,
English, History,
and Music. Needless
to say, this vastly expands the available course list, embracing
such classes as Performance and Oral History, Medical Anthropology,
and The South in Comparative Perspective. Additionally, students
pursuing an M.A. must demonstrate reading proficiency in a foreign
language. Those opting for a Folklore minor in another Ph.D.
program must complete only six courses.
In their fourth semester,
most students take a four-hour comprehensive exam that tests
their understanding of folklore theory, history, and practice.
In addition to drawing on their coursework and fieldwork, the
exam presumes knowledge of the core texts in a reading list
jointly prepared (and regularly revised) by faculty and students.
The approximately 60 items on the list encompass key texts and
monographs, articles, films, and sound recordings. Students
have the option of tailoring a section of the exam to their
particular research interests.
The
final requirement for the M.A. is a substantial thesis, usually
stretching from 80-100 pages, based on fieldwork and/or library
research. Once again, creative freedom is the rule; recent theses
have explored topics ranging from the politics of lay midwifery
to the experiential world of an improvisatory rock band. Working
closely with a thesis advisor and two readers, students typically
complete their thesis within a year of finishing their three semesters
of coursework. We do not require an oral defense.

Until 1992, the Curriculum in Folklore offered only the
Master of Arts degree or a minor with a Ph.D. in another
field. Recognizing that undergraduates often take a variety
of Folklore courses, the Curriculum now offers both a minor
and a major, with the latter arranged through the Interdisciplinary
Studies program in the College
of Arts and Sciences (see below).
The minor requires five courses that strike a balance between
genre, practice, and theory; the major calls for a similar
interdisciplinary distribution of eight courses. Both the
minor and major give undergraduates the opportunity to earn
formal recognition for their work in Folklore. They are
designed to:
-
introduce
the discipline of Folklore;
-
explore
the complexities of the art of ethnography;
-
recognize
the experience and achievements of folk artists and
groups who are often neglected or misunderstood by the
dominant culture.
The
Curriculum is small, informal, and intimate. Undergraduate
students work closely with faculty and with the
consultants they meet while doing fieldwork. Excellent
local resources for study and research include
the Southern
Folklife Collection (containing 90,000 sound
recordings), the Archie Green Labor Song Collection,
the American Religious Tunebook Collection, and
the Southern Historical Collection.
The
undergraduate minor in Folklore consists of five
three-hour courses, as specified in the categories listed below:
-
FOLK
485 Introduction to Folklore
-
Two
courses on genre from: FOLK 334, 375, 470, 484, 487, 502, 550, 560, 571,585, 610; ANTH 147, 151; MUSC 144, 145, 146, 147
-
One
course on community from: FOLK 130, 230, 340, 342, 488, 587, 589, 684; ANTH 142, 155, 205, 226, 234; MUSC 240
-
One
course on theory from: FOLK 323, 428, 429, 435, 454, 455, 473, 525, 537, 562, 565, 670, 675, 688; ANTH 120
From time to time, current or visiting faculty will offer additional Folklore courses not listed here. The Curriculum will post these to the semester's course listingand will determine-- on a course-by-course basis-- which minor requirements each will fill.
The Advisor for
the undergraduate minor is Glenn
Hinson, Chair of the Curriculum in Greenlaw
228, 962-4065, CB #3520.
Bachelor
of Arts with a Major in Interdisciplinary Studies:
Students
interested in an interdisciplinary degree program not
covered by any degree-granting curriculum should apply
to the director of Interdisciplinary Studies (Steele Building)
in the second semester of the sophomore year or the first
semester of the junior year. Students should have a grade-point
average of at least 2.40 and at least forty-five hours
left before graduation.
Students should
meet all General College requirements before entering
the Interdisciplinary program. While in the General College,
they may wish to choose electives that are relevant to
their later field of study.
Specific core
course requirements must be distributed as follows: eight
courses from three departments, with a maximum of four
from any one department. Core courses should be appropriate
for juniors and seniors majoring in those departments
and are not to be freshman/sophomore-level courses. They
should form a coherent area of study to which the student
is able to give a title (e.g., Medieval
Studies, Cultural
Studies, Urban Studies) and which the student is unable
to get by majoring in one of the departments or already-established
curricula of the College of Arts and Sciences. Because
the Interdisciplinary Studies major is for those who cannot
satisfy the requirements of any recognized major offered
by the University, those choosing this major may not declare
a second major or minor.
For information
about Renaissance Studies for the Interdisciplinary Studies
major, consult with either Professor Masters at 230 Dey
Hall or Professor Headley at 500 Hamilton Hall.
With permission
of the relevant professional school, one may use up to
twelve hours of professional courses (e.g., in Business
Administration, Journalism
and Mass Communication, Public
Health) in the core. This can be advantageous to students
who want some concentration in these areas but who also
want a degree in Arts and Sciences. Interdisciplinary
Studies majors are still restricted by the College of
Arts and Sciences rule that there be no more than twelve
hours of professional courses in the 120 hours required
for the B.A. degree.
Qualified students
may pursue departmental or interdisciplinary honors through
this program.
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