2011-2012 University Catalog

Folklore and Mythology Minor

Banner Code: FOLK

Phone: 703-993-1172
Web: folkloreprograms.gmu.edu

Faculty

Decaroli, Fuchs, Johnsen-Neshati, Mattusch (co-coordinator), Rutledge, Shiner, Lattanzi Shutika, Todd, Winkler, Yocom (co-coordinator)

Stories told in both sacred and secular contexts, along with festivals, foods, music, material objects, and other traditional art forms, continue to influence our lives. This interdisciplinary minor offers students tools to explore the compelling meanings within these seemingly simple, everyday cultural texts, and helps them become more aware of the ways these texts are used by individuals and institutions for various goals. Students study folklore and mythology by juxtaposing the multiple viewpoints of anthropology, art history, classical studies, literary studies, and religious studies.

This program of study is an interdisciplinary minor offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences .

For policies governing all minors, see the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog.

Course Work

Students pursuing this minor must complete 18 credits with a minimum GPA of 2.00. A course used to fulfill the 3 credits of literature required for general education may not also be applied to the minor. To avoid duplication of courses, English majors who choose the folklore and mythology interdisciplinary minor may not select the English Department’s folklore, mythology, and literature concentration.

One course (3 credits) chosen from:

ARTH 102 - Symbols and Stories in Art Credits: 3
CLAS 250 - Classical Mythology Credits: 3
DANC 118 - World Dance Credits: 3 (when the topic is Afro-Cuban dance)
RELI 100 - The Human Religious Experience Credits: 3
RELI 211 - Religions of the West Credits: 3
RELI 212 - Religions of Asia Credits: 3

Four to five courses (12 to 15 credits) chosen from:

ANTH 427 - Historic Cemetery Survey Credits: 4
ANTH 450 - Qualitative Methods: Nonstatistical Approaches in Culture and Social Research Credits: 3
ARTH 319 - Art and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East Credits: 3
ARTH 321 - Greek Art and Archaeology Credits: 3
ARTH 322 - Roman Art and Archaeology Credits: 3
ARTH 382 - Arts of India Credits: 3
ARTH 383 - Arts of Southeast Asia Credits: 3
ARTH 384 - Arts of China Credits: 3
ARTH 385 - Arts of Japan Credits: 3
ARTH 399 - Special Topics in the History of Art Credits: 3 (when the topic is Medieval Irish art and culture)
ARTH 482 - Advanced Studies in Asian Art Credits: 3 (when the topic is monuments and memory)
CLAS 340 - Greek and Roman Epic Credits: 3
CLAS 350 - Greek and Roman Tragedy Credits: 3
CLAS 390 - Topics in Classical Literature and Culture Credits: 3 (when the topic is the Odyssey in film)
ENGH 384 - Writing Ethnography Credits: 3
ENGH 315 - Folklore and Folklife Credits: 3
ENGH 316 - Topics in Myth and Literature Credits: 3
ENGH 453 - Topics in Fiction Credits: 3 (when the topic is literary fairy tales)
ENGH 416 - Ethnicity and Migration in Folklore Credits: 3
ENGH 414 - Folklore of the Spirit World Credits: 3
ENGH 415 - Folk Arts and Folk Artists Credits: 3
ENGH 412 - Topics in Folklore Studies Credits: 3
RELI 401 - Death and the Afterlife in World Religions Credits: 3

At most one course (3 credits) of independent study or internship chosen from:

Summer field work schools offered by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress or other institution approved by faculty and taken for credit

ANTH 299 - Independent Study Credits: 1-3
ANTH 495 - Internship Credits: 1-6
ARTH 393 - Art History Internships Credits: 3-6
ARTH 490 - Independent Study in Art History Credits: 3
ARTH 491 - Independent Study in Art History Credits: 3
ENGH 459 - Internship Credits: 1-3 (when this is an approved internship in folklore)
ENGH 499 - Independent Study Credits: 1-6

Total: 18 credits

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