Five Approaches to Teaching Folklore in a College English Curriculum.

Folklore study, too often misunderstood and maligned in the academic world, is pursued by a relatively small number of scholars (fewer than 100 people in this country have a doctorate in folklore). However, at least 170 American colleges and universities offer popular folklore courses, 71 percent of which are part of the English department curriculum. These courses treat folklore study in several ways, as may be seen by examining a specific folklore sample from five different approaches: nostalgic, subliterary, descriptive, functional, and behavioral. Instructors wishing to disseminate applied knowledge can use the nostalgic approach, while those advocating pure knowledge may choose from the other four approaches. In any case, folklore can contribute to the understanding of literature and may also be perceived as vital expressive culture itself. (JM)