Folklore Studies Minor FSU Culture of Liberal Arts

The study of folklore and folklife involves examination and analysis of traditional expressive culture in all its forms, including oral and material.  In every society, agricultural and industrial, rural and urban, folklore is a vital part of life.  In higher education, then, since folklore is a study of the humanist expression which is typically transmitted by tradition, it is related to all departments that deal with literature, art, and music.  Since folklore also deals with the entire traditional culture of mankind as manifested in customs and beliefs, it has close affiliations with anthropology, psychology, sociology, history, philosophy, linguistics, design, and pedagogy.

This 19 hour interdisciplinary academic minor, which can be attached to most liberal arts majors, is housed in the Department of Language and Literature under the College of Liberal Arts and is part of the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State.

Courses:

Folk 2200 - Introduction to Folklore
        Learning Community: Sciences and Culture in the Heart of Appalachia
Folk 2201 - Lab Field Research/Oral History Techniques'
Folk 3300 - Folk Literature
Folk 3301 - Material Culture
Folk 3302 - Regional Cultural Geography and History
Folk 4400 *- Directed Folklore Study
       Appalchian African-American Lore
       Appalchian (Regional/Written) Literature Study
       Archives/Collections Management
       Arthurian Legend: Comparative Folk Literature Study
       Children's Folklore
       Culture as Education
       Ethnolography and Process and Storytelling
       Folk Arts
       Folk Dance
       Museum Studies
       Rural Education
       Traditional folk Music, Vocal and Instrumental
       Urban and Popular Culture
       Vintage clothing Preservation
       West Virginia Literature
       World Tale

* Note: If an existing course is available on campus reflecting any of these topics, a sutdent may opt to take it, with the approval of the Folklore Studies advisor.

Folk 4401 - Folklore Applications

Dr. Judy P. Byers and Mr. Noel W. Tenney are the principle instructors in the program with faculty associates from such disciplines as Language and Literature, Fine Arts, Social Sciences, Technology, Recreation, and Education.  Dr. Byers is the Director of  The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center and Mr. Tenney is the Folk Cultural Specialist for the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center.