FOLKLORE OF PENNSYLVANIA

In this course, students learn the social history of tall tales, folk stories, ghost tales, witchcraft and urban legends throughout Pennsylvania – in its city neighborhoods, suburban towns, and rural areas. Interactive classes enable students to better appreciate the social and historical context within which such folklore evolves. Access to historical documents enables students to gain a hands-on understanding of how and why ordinary people used tales and lore as a way to make sense of major on-going transformations (such as the coming of electric power, the loss of mining jobs, etc.). Film, video, and student trips to the actual sites of ghost appearances supplement in-class discussions and readings.