We are all naturally creative, whether it is through the stories we tell, the jokes we tell, the songs we sing, the traditions we keep, the online “memes” we create and share, our customs and beliefs, the ways we remember those who have died, the holidays we celebrate, or the clothes we wear.
These creative everyday expressions are at the heart of what we study. Students will explore this vibrant folk culture in the context of wider society, when and where it came from, what it means to people today, and the different ways in which scholars have studied this material since the beginning of the disciplines.
The program in Ethnology and Folklore aims to develop a broad understanding of how the disciplines of ethnology, folklore, and ethnomusicology have developed and offers an introduction to the major genres of study, including material culture, customs and beliefs, music and song, oral history, childhood life, dress, games, and sport – with a special emphasis on culture and tradition.
Graduates will gain knowledge of the concepts, practical skills and methodologies of ethnology, folklore and ethnomusicology. While a number of graduates pursue careers in public art, museums, archives and cultural tourism, for example, the program also provides a solid foundation for further research at the doctoral level.
The program covers
- the history and development of the disciplines of ethnology, folklore studies, and ethnomusicology;
- the main genres of language, ballads and songs, dance, music, storytelling, folk literature, folk medicine, customs and beliefs, and material culture
- contemporary issues, such as reflexivity, digital folklore, interpretation of place and time, identity, ethics and gender;
- case studies involving the application of concepts from ethnology, folklore and ethnomusicology to issues in contemporary society, including cultural change and stability, language change, emigration and immigration, and the ‘invented Scotsman’;
- radio and film project work;
- digital field recording, processing and archiving.