Course Syllabus

ENGL 2210 Folklore and Literature

Course Description

This course surveys folkloric literary texts that draw on oral traditions in their plots, characters, or language. The emphasis is on a range of canonical and multicultural literature, and the course also asks students to examine artistic aspects of oral storytelling and to learn foundational principles of the discipline of folklore.

Justification

References to folklore (the beliefs, customs, and traditional art forms of specific groups) can be found in all literature, and folkloric elements often contribute to the core of the literary work. Thus, the study of folklore and literature provides students with a helpful critical lens with which to analyze both literary works and the process of literary creation. Folklore classes are offered at many Utah colleges and universities, and this course has value for both general education and English major students.

General Education Outcomes

1. A student who completes the GE curriculum has a fundamental knowledge of human cultures and the natural world. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to explain, on an introductory level, the fields of folklore and of literature more broadly. They will be able to read and analyze literature that depicts a variety of cultures, time periods, and ways of life.
2. A student who completes the GE curriculum can read and research effectively within disciplines. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to closely read a variety of primary fiction and poetry, non-fiction secondary texts, and use this reading as the basis for deeper contextual analysis.
3. A student who completes the GE curriculum can draw from multiple disciplines to address complex problems. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to use insights from geography, history, sociology, gender studies, and other fields to read and analyze literature and to document folklore.
4. A student who completes the GE curriculum can reason analytically, critically, and creatively. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to perform critical analysis of live folklore performances and written literary (and other) texts to form creative conclusions about artistic excellence, the formation of literature, and cultural norms.

General Education Knowledge Area Outcomes

1. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to read and discuss questions about the human condition as reflected in canonical and multicultural works of folkloric literature, from love and life to death, the family, religion, national identity, freedom, etc.  Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to read and discuss questions about the human condition as reflected in canonical and multicultural works of folkloric literature, from love and life to death, the family, religion, national identity, freedom, etc.
2. EXPLAIN: Explain how humanities artifacts take on meaning within networks or systems (such as languages, cultures, values, and worldviews) that account for the complexities and uncertainties of the human condition. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to explore ways in which canonical and multicultural works of folkloric literature are part of the larger cultural systems of their times and geographic realities. They will be able to read and observe these works as examples of the complexities and uncertainties within the human condition.
3. ANALYZE: Analyze humanities artifacts according to humanities methodologies, such as a close analysis, questioning, reasoning, interpretation, and critical thinking. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to read and study canonical and multicultural works of folkloric literature closely and critically, analyzing folkloric structures and themes.
4. COMPARE AND CONTRAST: Compare and contrast diverse humanistic perspectives across cultures, communities, and/or time periods to explain how people make meaning of their lives. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to compare and contrast diverse humanistic perspectives as reflected in canonical and multicultural works of folkloric literature and their cultural and community contexts, learning and explaining how people make meaning of their lives throughout time.
5. APPLY: Using humanities perspectives, reflect on big questions related to aesthetics, values, meaning, and ethics and how those apply to their own lives.  Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to critically respond to representative folkloric literary texts that present various values and ethical complexities. Students will be able to question, analyze, evaluate, and apply these texts within the contexts of their individual and larger community experiences in order to engage in meaningful ways.

Course Content

English 2210 covers a selection of literary texts (chosen at the discretion of the instructor) that illustrate how folklore can come to be accepted as literature (e.g. Beowulf), how folklore can be the frame for a literary work (e.g. Rip Van Winkle), and how folklore can be depicted in the imaginative worlds within literature. Course content (readings and other forms of folkloric art and music) will offer students the opportunity to see various ethnic, national, gender, regional, economic, and other perspectives through folkloric literature.The class will also include discussions of what folklore is and explore times when literature inspires folklore. The class may include the gathering of students’ own folkloric traditions.