Introduction to Folk Studies Group Project

Fall 2011

Homecoming 2011: WKU vs. Louisiana-Lafayette: October 22 (and the weeks surrounding this date)

Presentation and Paper due: Week 10

In this group project, you will document and present traditions related to (before, during, and after) the 2011 WKU Homecoming.

As a group, you will:

  1. Determine the focus of the group’s research
  2. Assign specific research tasks to group members
  3. Conduct fieldwork (in a group or individually)
  4. Create a group presentation

Everyone in each group must actively conduct research and everyone must actively participate in the presentation.

What you will turn in:

  • As a group: Collection materials, index of materials, release forms
  • Individually: A 3-page paper in which you describe your role in the project and what you learned about conducting fieldwork

Presentations:

Your group presentation should creatively present an over view of what you collected and how you collected it. In other words, you will present Homecoming traditions and also describe the mini-fieldwork experience. What did you collect? What kinds of research did your group do and what did you learn about the fieldwork process? Your presentation should be approximately 15 minutes long.

Assessment:

This project (10% of your final grade) will be assessed based on:

  • Depth and quality of the materials gathered
  • Quality of your group presentation
  • Your individual paper

50% of your grade will be a group grade and 50% will be an individual grade.

NOTE: There will not be class on Friday, October 14. You should use this time to meet as a group to plan your projects.

Monday, October 10

What does the reading tell us about Homecoming?

Compares to Thanksgiving – coming together of alumni

{I’d suggest the idea has more alliance with church and community homecomings that go back much further]

Also, initiation rituals for students

[Custom that bonds campus as community]

Who has participated in homecoming in some way/

Presentation of assignment

Opportunity to practice fieldwork and presentation of work

Draw number: 6 groups of 5

Form groups and discuss-

  1. Who participates in homecoming (what folk groups)?

Student

Alum

Fraternities and sororities

Who doesn’t participate?

  1. What might you study?

Events and traditions:

Football game

Homecoming parade

Tailgating

Stepshow

Parties

Student perceptions

Alumni traditions

Anti-homecoming traditions

rituals

  1. How might you study it?

Observation

Participant observation

Interviews

photographs

I recommend you meet on Friday to make a plan…

You’ll need to meet at least once more, after you’ve done research to create your presentation

Pass out list of terms and describe midterm