Folklore

Students studying folklore at the UO receive comprehensive training in scholarly approaches and methods for researching, documenting, and presenting traditional arts and cultural practices within the United States and abroad. 

Major in Folklore

Students majoring in folklore must earn a minimum of 48 credits, of which 36 must be upper division, and 20 of the 48 must be Folklore (FLR) credits. 

Major Requirements

• Foundations course. Introduction to Folklore (FLR 250) (4 credits)
• Three courses from Expressive Forms and Practices list (see below)
• Three courses from Diverse Communities list (see below)
• Electives (20 credits)
• Fieldwork Requirement. One 300- or 400-level FLR course that requires a fieldwork-based project (e.g., a paper or film). The fieldwork project may be completed in a course that counts for one of the requirements listed above. 

Expressive Forms and Practices

• Folklore. Folklore and Religion (FLR 411), Folk Art and Material Culture (FLR 413), Folklore and Mythology of the British Isles (FLR 483), Film and Folklore (FLR 485), Anglo-American Ballad and Folk Song (FLR 491)
• Anthropology. Food and Culture (ANTH 365), Performance, Politics, and Folklore (ANTH 419), Anthropology and Popular Culture (ANTH 493)
• Arts and Administration. Art and Human Values (AAD 250), Workshop: Zines and DIY Culture (AAD 408)
• Dance. Dance and Folk Culture (DAN 301)
• German and Scandinavian. German Fairy Tales (GER 356), Seminar: Magic, Uncanny, Surrealistic, and Fantastic Tales (GER 407)
• Music. Hip-Hop Music: History, Culture, Aesthetics (MUS 360), Introduction to Ethnomusicology (MUS 451), Musical Instruments of the World (MUS 452), Celtic Music (MUS 458)

Diverse Communities

• Folklore. Voices of Africa (FLR 225), Folklore of Subcultures (FLR 412), African Folklore (FLR 416), Folklore and Gender (FLR 418)
• Anthropology. World Cultures (ANTH 161), Gender, Folklore, Inequality (ANTH 315), Caribbean Societies (ANTH 326), Balkan Society and Folklore (ANTH 430)
• Music. American Ethnic and Protest Music (MUS 349), Music in World Cultures (MUS 358), Music of the Americas (MUS 359), Music of India (MUS 454), Folk Music of the Balkans (MUS 453), Music and Gender (MUS 460), Popular Musics in the Africa Diaspora (MUS 462)

Electives

Courses from the two lists above may count as electives if not fulfilling another requirement.

• Folklore. Folklore and the Supernatural (FLR 235), Folklore and United States Popular Culture (FLR 255), Folklore and Sexuality (FLR 370), Folklore and Religion (FLR 411)
• Anthropology. Introduction to Language and Culture (ANTH 280), Politics, Ethnicity, Nationalism (ANTH 411), Culture, Illness, and Healing (ANTH 420), The Anthropology Museum (ANTH 450), Anthropology and Popular Culture (ANTH 493)
• Arts and Administration. Art in Society (AAD 450), Community Cultural Development (AAD 451), Cultural Policy in Art (AAD 462), Marketing the Arts (AAD 465)

Students may substitute courses to fulfill requirements with the approval of their major advisor. Programs from other departments or programs offering folklore-related courses include anthropology, architecture, art history, arts and administration, Asian studies, classics, dance, East Asian languages and literatures, English, ethnic studies, geography, German and Scandinavian, history, historic preservation, humanities, international studies, journalism and communication, Judaic studies, landscape architecture, linguistics, music, political science, religious studies, Romance languages, sociology, theater arts, and women’s and gender studies.

Residency Requirement. 28 credits of upper-division course work for the major must be completed at the University of Oregon.

Advising. Majors should construct their programs in consultation with an advisor from the core Folklore faculty. The director of the Folklore Program assigns each major an advisor. At least two terms before graduation, students who want to apply for a folklore degree must consult a folklore advisor to obtain authorization and course work approval.

Minimum Grade. Course work required for the folklore major, both lower division and upper division, must be passed with grades of C– or better. No more than 8 pass/no pass credits may be applied to the major. 

Foreign Language Requirement. Majors must complete the university foreign-language requirement for the BA degree.

Minor in Folklore

Courses. The folklore minor requires the completion of 24 credits. Introduction to Folklore (FLR 250) is required of all minors. Remaining courses are selected from the list of courses on the Folklore Program website. Students may substitute courses from other departments to fulfill this requirement with the approval of their minor advisor. Programs from other departments and programs offering folklore-related courses include anthropology, architecture, art history, arts and administration, Asian studies, classics, dance, East Asian languages and literatures, English, ethnic studies, geography, German and Scandinavian, history, historic preservation, humanities, international studies, journalism and communication, Judaic studies, landscape architecture, linguistics, music, political science, religious studies, Romance languages, sociology, theater arts, and women’s and gender studies.

Residency Requirement. 16 credits of course work for the minor must be completed at the University of Oregon.

Advising. Minors should construct their programs in consultation with an advisor from the core Folklore faculty. Students should contact the director of the Folklore Program to be assigned an advisor. At least two terms before graduation, students who want to apply for a folklore degree must consult a folklore advisor to obtain authorization and course work approval.

Minimum Grade. Course work required for the folklore minor, both lower division and upper division, must be passed with grades of C– or better. No more than 4 pass/no pass credits may be applied to the folklore minor. 

The master of arts (MA) or master of science (MS) degree in folklore is interdisciplinary. In consultation with an advising committee, students take designated courses from faculty members in anthropology, arts and administration, English, folklore, German and Scandinavian, and music in addition to elective courses that strengthen their areas of expertise. A public folklore track is available to students preparing for careers in the public sector. A thesis or terminal project is required for completion of the degree. Students working toward an MA degree must demonstrate competence in a second language.

The Department of English’s PhD program offers a structured emphasis in folklore. For more information, see the English section of this catalog.

Admission Requirements

1. An undergraduate GPA of at least 3.30 (B+)
2. A minimum score of 500 on the verbal section of the general test of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), and a score of 4 or better on the analytical writing section (GRE-AW)
3. For nonnative speakers: a minimum score of 600 on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a minimum score of 250 on the computer-based test

Application procedures are listed on the program website.

Degree Requirements

General Folklore Track (63 credits)

Courses are chosen in consultation with the student’s advising committee.

Required courses (10 credits)

Seminar: Folklore Fieldwork (FLR 607) (or other fieldwork course approved by advising committee), History and Theory of Folklore Research (FLR 681).

Interdisciplinary core courses (28 credits)

Folklore (12 credits). Seminar: Video Production (FLR 507), Folklore and Religion (FLR 511), Folklore of Subcultures (FLR 512), Folk Art and Material Culture (FLR 513), African Folklore (FLR 516), Folklore and Gender (FLR 518), Folklore and Mythology of the British Isles (FLR 583), Folklore in the United States (FLR 584), Film and Folklore (FLR 585), Anglo-American Ballad and Folk Song (FLR 591).

Anthropology. Politics, Ethnicity, Nationalism (ANTH 511), Performance, Politics and Folklore (ANTH 519), Anthropology and Popular Culture (ANTH 593).

Arts and Administration. Art in Society (AAD 550), Community Cultural Development (AAD 551).

English. Folklore: [Topic] (ENG 680).

German and Scandinavian. Translations-Transformations (GER 625).

Music. Introduction to Ethnomusicology (MUS 551), Musical Instruments of the World (MUS 552), Folk Music of the Balkans (MUS 553), Music of India (MUS 554).

Students may substitute courses not listed above to fulfill requirements with the approval of their advising committee.

Electives (16 credits)

These electives, either within or outside the folklore core, should bolster areas of student expertise.

Thesis or terminal project (9 credits)

The thesis or terminal project requires a minimum of 9 credits in Thesis (FLR 503) or Terminal Project (FLR 609). The number of thesis or terminal project hours that a candidate may complete has no maximum, although only 9 credits count toward the degree.

Public Folklore Track (63 credits)

Visit the Folklore Program website for a list of additional approved courses.

Required courses (26 credits)

Folklore. Seminar: Folklore Fieldwork (FLR 607) (or other fieldwork course approved by advising committee), History and Theory of Folklore Research (FLR 681).

Arts and Administration. Art in Society (AAD 550), Community Cultural Development (AAD 551).

Interdisciplinary core courses (12 credits)

See courses listed under “interdisciplinary core courses” in the general folklore track. Students may substitute other courses not listed to fulfill requirements with the approval of their advising committee.

Electives (10 credits)

These electives, either within or outside the folklore core, should bolster students’ specializations.

Internship (6 credits)

Internship (FLR 604). A public folklore–related internship, amounting to 200 clock hours of service on-site, organized either through the Arts and Administration Program or the Folklore Program.

Thesis or terminal project (9 credits)

The thesis or terminal project requires a minimum of 9 credits in Thesis (FLR 503) or Terminal Project (FLR 609). The number of thesis or terminal project hours that a candidate may complete has no maximum, although only 9 credits count toward the degree.

Additional Courses

Consult the program’s website or members of its faculty each term for special offerings that fulfill degree requirements.

Other undergraduate and graduate courses with related subject matter may be applied to folklore certificate programs by arrangement with the instructors and the folklore director. For a list of these courses, visit the program website.

198 Workshop: [Topic] (1–2R)

199 Special Studies: [Topic] (1–5R)

225 Voices of Africa (4) Novels, music, dance, dress, paintings, films, and cartoons serve as a primary sources from which to learn about the diversity and vivacity of contemporary African peoples. Not offered 2012–13.

235 Folklore and the Supernatural (4) Introduces the study of beliefs about the supernatural by examining diverse approaches to the description and analysis of belief traditions and religious culture. 

250 Introduction to Folklore (4) The process and genres of traditional (i.e., folk) patterning; the relations between these forms of expression and other arts, especially English and American literature. Gilman.

255 Folklore and United States Popular Culture (4) Explores the relationship between folklore and popular culture, with special emphasis on the analysis of legends, myths, icons, stereotypes, heroes, celebrities, rituals, and celebrations. Wojcik.

370 Folklore and Sexuality (4) Examines intersections of folklore and sexuality as entry points for discussing social issues of sexual and gender identity, intolerance, and resistance. Gilman. Not offered 2012–13.

399 Special Studies: [Topic] (1–5R)

401 Research: [Topic] (1–6R)

403/503 Thesis (1–6R)

404 Internship: [Topic] (1–6R)

405 Reading and Conference: [Topic] (1–6R)

406 Field Studies: [Topic] (1–6R)

407/507 Seminar: [Topic] (1–5R)

408/508 Workshop: [Topic] (1–5R)

409 Practicum: [Topic] (1–6R)

410/510 Experimental Course: [Topic] (1–5R)

411/511 Folklore and Religion (4) Explores the role of folklore in people’s religious lives with particular emphasis on narrative, beliefs, rituals, celebrations, pilgrimage, and ecstatic states. Wojcik. Not offered 2012–13.

416/516 African Folklore (4) Examines folklore forms across the African continent to analyze themes of history, identity, aesthetics, gender, class, politics, and globalization. Junior standing required. Gilman. Not offered 2012–13.

483/583 Folklore and Mythology of the British Isles (4) Basic folk traditions in the British Isles (e.g., ballads, folktales, legends, myths) and their treatment in the written literature of major British authors. Dugaw. Not offered 2012–13.

485/585 Film and Folklore (4) The developmental use of film by folklorists. Folklore genres, theories, and fieldwork methods as related to filmmakers’ techniques. Analysis includes documentary and ethnodocumentary films. Not offered 2012–13.

491/591 Anglo-American Ballad and Folk Song (4) Study of popular ballads in the Anglo-American tradition—styles, origins, forms, content, and dissemination. History and influence of popular media. Dugaw. 

601 Research: [Topic] (1–6R)

602 Supervised College Teaching (1–16R)

604 Internship: [Topic] (1–6R)

605 Reading and Conference: [Topic] (1–6R)

606 Field Studies: [Topic] (1–6R)

607 Seminar: [Topic] (1–6R)

608 Workshop: [Topic] (1–6R)

609 Terminal Project (1–6R)

610 Experimental Course: [Topic] (1–5R)

681 History and Theory of Folklore Research (5) Examines the nature of scholarly inquiry, research questions, and techniques. Historic orientation with emphasis on ideological development of folkloristics from its beginnings to the present. Dugaw, Gilman, Wojcik.

684 Folklore Fieldwork Seminar (5) Students conceptualize and execute a fieldwork project while developing practical skills in proposal writing, observation, interviewing, analysis, documentation, and presentation. Not offered 2012–13.