Folk Studies

What is Folklore?
All people create ways to understand the world around them and communicate these understandings to others through their stories, their food, their art, their music, their life rituals, and various other traditions. Folklore is a window into a group's worldview.

Where is Folklore?
Every culture has folklore— it is in the stories, songs, beliefs, customs, and folk art.

How do I learn more about Folklore?
Take a class. SKCTC offers two General Education courses in Folklore. Introduction to Folk Studies and Cultural Diversity in the U.S.

Introduction to Folk Studies (FLK 276)
 An introduction to the study of folk traditions in different contexts, focusing on the concepts of folk group, cultural relativism, fieldwork, meaning and function, and the genres of folk narrative, folksong, folk custom and traditional material culture. This course is designed to familiarize students with the ways in which folklore functions in the everyday lives of people around the world throughout the life cycle.

Cultural Diversity in the U.S. (FLK 280)
 In this course, we want to explore our nation’s cultural diversity through the lens of folkloristic understanding in order to gain an insight into how culture shapes the experiences of individuals and groups here in the U.S. By learning how culture works and how our own cultures can shape our perceptions, we will be able to develop skills that will enable us to understand our cultural differences, even when they do not coincide with our personal beliefs.