Digital Commons Network^™

Panorama Of Popular Haitian Music And Folklore, Jean Wilner S. St Jean

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Haitian music has been influenced by the people who lived on the island from the native before the Columbus discovered Haiti to the United States occupation. This country is rich in culture which has impacted by the Creole identity. The overview of the different kind of Haitian music by categories and subcategories from the beginning to now. The government, the religion, the social class, and population play an important role in the popularity and acceptance of certain music.

Drowning In Rising Seas: Navigating Multiple Knowledge Systems And Responding To Climate Change In The Maldives, Rachel Hannah Spiegel

Pitzer Senior Theses

The threat of global climate change increasingly influences the actions of human society. As world leaders have negotiated adaptation strategies over the past couple of decades, a certain discourse has emerged that privileges Western conceptions of environmental degradation. I argue that this framing of climate change inhibits the successful implementation of adaptation strategies. This thesis focuses on a case study of the Maldives, an island nation deemed one of the most vulnerable locations to the impacts of rising sea levels. I apply a postcolonial theoretical framework to examine how differing knowledge systems can both complement and contradict one another. By …

Before Me, After Me, Through Me: Stories Of Food And Community In Eastern Kentucky, Abigail Myers Huggins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This text contextualizes and presents twenty-three oral history interviews conducted in eastern Kentucky during the summer of 2016 as a part of a Master of Arts thesis in southern studies. The interviews were conducted with people specifically connected to food, farming, and community activism in and near Letcher County, Kentucky. The interviews explore such topics as: past and present food traditions, seed saving, gardening, farming, food preservation, herbalism, local food systems, food access, youth, theater arts, lgbtq+ advocacy, and appalachian identity. This document complements an online collection of oral history excerpts created as an audio documentary portion of the overall …

Book Review: Kirin Narayan, Everyday Creativity: Singing Goddesses In The Himalayan Foothills (Kirin Narayan), Coralynn V. Davis

Faculty Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Happily Ever Resilient: A Content Analysis Of Themes Of Resilience In Fairytales, Stephanie Goloway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One in 4 children in the United States lives in a family impacted by the chronic, heritable disease of substance use disorder (SUD), also known as alcoholism or addiction. Recent research has demonstrated that resilience is a key protective factor against developing the disease in adolescence and adulthood and that the neurological roots of resilience lie in the child's experiences in early childhood. In spite of this, few resources related to family SUD or current models of resilience are included in preservice teacher preparation for early childhood educators. This study examined whether key components of Masten's model of resilience are …

Folklórico Testimonios: Identity, Community, And Agency As Social Justice Cultural Performance For Dancers Of Mexican Folklórico, Manuel Alejandro Perez

Doctoral Dissertations

Mexican students in higher education have few opportunities to learn about their heritage and history outside of Ethnic Studies courses. Some students seek alternative opportunities to learn about their identity and to build community with other Mexican students through folklórico. In Mexican folklórico, dancers learn the techniques and skills to communicate stories about their history, culture, and heritage through movement, song, and dance. This study is the story of Mexican students and folkloristas on their journey to (re)discover identity, community, and agency as they move through higher education.

This study uses testimonio to capture the voice, the struggle, and the …

Research And Study Of Fashion And Costume History Spanning From Ancient Egypt To Modern Day, Kaitlyn E. Dennis Miss

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Through a generous donation to Morehead State University, research has been conducted on thousands of slides containing images of artwork and artifacts of historical significance. These images span from Egyptian hieroglyphs to the inaugural dress of every first lady of the United States. The slides are in the process of being recorded and catalogued for future use by students in hopes of furthering academic comprehension and awareness of the influence of fashion and costume history through the ages. Special thanks to the family of Gretel Geist Rutledge, faculty mentor Denise Watkins, as well as the Department of Music, Theatre, and …

American Myths, Legends, And Tall Tales: An Encyclopedia Of American Folklore, Christopher R. Fee, Jeffrey Webb, Danielle R. Dattolo, Emily A. Francisco, Bronwen Fetters, Jaime Hillegonds, Andrew Wickersham

Gettysburg College Faculty Books

Folklore has been a part of American culture for as long as humans have inhabited North America, and increasingly formed an intrinsic part of American culture as diverse peoples from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania arrived. In modern times, folklore and tall tales experienced a rejuvenation with the emergence of urban legends and the growing popularity of science fiction and conspiracy theories, with mass media such as comic books, television, and films contributing to the retelling of old myths. This multi-volume encyclopedia will teach readers the central myths and legends that have formed American culture since its earliest years of …

Folk Music In A Digital Age: The Importance Of Face-To-Face Community Values In Filk Music, Sally Childs-Helton

Scholarship and Professional Work

Filk is broadly defined as the traditional folk-based music and related community created by and for a sub-community of science fiction and fantasy fans. Born in the 1950s, filk today includes international participants of various experience levels and musical styles. Social context and music are equally important in this tradition; prominent values include self-expression, play and building a face-to-face co-creative, collaborative group experience. This article, founded on Textual Poachers (1992), assumes that filk remains a folk music in many ways, and that filkers still prefer face-to-face musical and personal interaction in spite of a lively, diverse online filk community. I …

Field Methods In Ethnography (Fa 849), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archive Project 849. This collection consists of student projects conducted in their “Field Methods in Ethnography” class. Some projects included topics on recipes, plastic canvas crafts, and the music scene in Bowling Green, Kentucky. These Western Kentucky University students provide photos, transcribed interviews, and written papers.

The Archaeology Of Appetites, Molly S. Schonert

SEWSA 2016 Intersectionality in the New Millennium: An Assessment of Culture, Power, and Society

Through use of examining how food is produced, stored, distributed and consumed, one can take a glimpse into the past, present and even future of this planet–to better understand the complexity of human identity and the social practices or roles that define an individual, community or society. So this begins an exploration of the archaeology of food as a gendered commodity throughout our evolutionary past, emphasizing the infinite ways in which foodway practices exceeds the nutritional value of what our ancestors, family, friends and ourselves consume(d) on a daily basis. Foodways practices is an invaluable tool in any archaeologists’ tool …

Evelyn Thurman Oral History Project (Fa 769), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archive Project 769. This collection is an oral history project about Mary Evelyn Thurman a librarian, educator and storyteller. 32 interviews were conducted by Lisa Karen Miller, an employee of Western Kentucky University’s University Libraries. These items are stored in the digital Sound Archives.

The Origin Of Chinese New Year, Haiwang Yuan

DLPS Faculty Publications

Published on the SMS-I-Media Tourism Express, a bi-lingual weekly ejournal, with the Wechat public account TourismExpress, this article introduces the origin and customs of the Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year. It also gives a brief introduction to the festival's related background knowledge such as the Chinese lunisolar calendar, the 24 Chinese solar terms, the Chinese Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, the Twelve Chinese zodiac animals, as well as the relationship between them and the Western zodiac signs.

Folk Songs And Popular Music In China: An Examination Of Min’Ge And Its Significance Within Nationalist Frameworks, Belinda Li

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis examines the function of music within different theories of nationalism and the appropriation of folk music within the genre of min’ge. Min’ge, a term in Chinese which directly translates to “folk songs”, has generally been defined as oral musical traditions. However, due to the increased politicization of popular music since the 1930s, the nature folk music has fundamentally changed, reflecting its new significance within Chinese nationalism. Through the years, min’ge has become more useful to promoting the goals of the state than representing the musical traditions of the many different ethnic groups in China. This transformation …

The Future Of Arabic Music: No Sound Without Silence, Nesma Magdy Khodier Vcuq

Theses and Dissertations

For centuries, Arabic music has been intrinsically linked to Arab culture and by extension bonded to the environmental landscape of the region, reflecting their emotions, moods, and behaviors. Numerous technological advancements in the latter half of the twentieth century, have greatly affected the rich legacy of Arabic music, significantly impacting the natural progression of traditional Arabic musical genres, scales, and instrumentation.

This thesis serves as an introduction to generative methods of music production, specifically music generated through gestures. Through generative music, and its unique ability to map gestures to different musical parameters, music can be produced using computer algorithms.

The …

Shelley D. Owens (Fa 840), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archive Project 840. Paper titled “Supernatural Stories from the Hill” written by Shelley D. Owens for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University (WKU). In the paper she discusses stories told to her that involve the supernatural on WKU’s campus, particularly in buildings. Appendix includes typescripts of stories that were sent to Owens via social media.

Interview With Senida Husic (Fa 1137), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Oral Histories

Transcript of oral history interview with Senida Husic conducted by Kate Horigan on 11 November 2015 at the Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center as part of Western Kentucky University's 2017 International Year of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Click on "Additional Files" to access the audio file of the recorded interview. File may take several minutes to download.

Interview With Denis Hodzic (Fa 1137), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Oral Histories

Transcript of oral history interview with Denis Hodzic conducted by Brent Bjorkman on 6 November 2015 at the WKU PBS station as part of Western Kentucky University's 2017 International Year of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Click on "Additional Files" to access the audio file of the recorded interview. File may take several minutes to download.

Keeping The Magic: Fursona Identity And Performance In The Furry Fandom, Jakob W. Maase

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The furry subculture (also known as the anthropomorphic fandom) creates identity through anthropomorphism and therianthropy. Anthropomorphism is the giving of human traits to the non-human. Therianthropy is the giving of animal traits to the human. Through play and creating art, these individuals of the furry subculture take on an anthropomorphic identity (what furries call a fursona) while bridging local and global groups through communication technologies. For this folklore project I conducted ethnographic field works interviews with the Bowling Green, Kentucky fur group. I also build off of the interviews project with an online furry role-play group as well as a …

Medical Collections In The Manuscripts & Folklife Archives - Western Kentucky University (Fa 1017), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full text bibliography for Folklife Archives Project 1017. An annotated bibliography (70 pp.) of collections in Manuscripts & Folklife Archives at Western Kentucky University that discuss folk medicine and allied medical topics, compiled by folk studies graduate student Azadeh Vatanpour.

Kentucky Folklife Program - Administrative Files (Fa 750), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Collection 750. This collection contains administrative files that were collected over the course of the Kentucky Folklife Program, 1989 to 2012. The files include information related to various folklore projects including organizations, speeches, educational materials, program budgets, media coverage, and correspondence.

The Rock Abides, Mike James

Indian Head Rock Project

Article published by Mike James of the Ashland Daily Independent on March 30, 2015 on the storage of the Indian Head Rock at the Greenup County garage.

Sisenstein, James (Fa 802), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full text paper (click Additional Files below) for Folklife Archives Project 802. This collection features a term paper about folklore involved in the “Magic: The Gathering” trading card game created by Wizards of the Coast. The project was completed by Western Kentucky University student James Sisenstein for credit in an “Introduction to Folk Studies” class.

Woolen, Erin, B. 1989 (Fa 787), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full text paper (click Additional Files below) for Folklife Archives Project 787. This collection features a term paper about the Thanksgiving traditions of the author’s family. Also includes a cookbook from a restaurant operated by the author’s family. The project was completed by Western Kentucky University student Erin Woolen for credit in an “Introduction to Folk Studies” class.

Hamada, Rina (Fa 795), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full text paper (click on Additional File below) for Folklife Archives Project 795. This collection features a term paper about the traditions surrounding the Japanese New Year's celebration. The project was completed by Western Kentucky University student Rina Hamada for credit in an "Introduction to Folk Studies" class.

Phelps, William, B. 1982 (Fa 790), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full text paper (click Additional Files below) for Folklife Archives Project 790. This collection features a term paper about the fan community surrounding director George A. Romero and his multiple films. The project was completed by Western Kentucky University student William Phelps for credit in an "Introduction to Folk Studies" class.

Strategic Deployments Of "Sisterhood" And Questions Of Solidarity At A Women’S Development Project In Janakpur, Nepal, Coralynn V. Davis

Faculty Contributions to Books

No abstract provided.

Writing About Aj Pop B'Atz': Bruce Grindal And The Transformation Of Ethnographic Writing, Sarah Ashley Kistler

Faculty Publications

The works of Bruce Grindal teach us many things about anthropology’s humanistic tradition. With examples such as Redneck Girl and “Postmodernism as Seen by the Boys at Downhome Auto Repair,” Bruce Grindal demonstrated how we can creatively engage our ethnographic writing to reflect lived experiences. In this article, I examine Bruce’s influence on my ethnographic writing and collaborative research in the Maya community of San Juan Chamelco, Guatemala. Since 2006, I have worked collectively with a group of Chamelqueños to investigate the story of their local hero, Aj Pop B’atz’. In the sixteenth century, Aj Pop B’atz’ welcomed Spanish invaders …

"Dark And Wicked Things": Slender Man, The Folkloresque, And The Implications Of Belief, Jeffrey A. Tolbert

Faculty Journal Articles

In this paper I examine the media discourses surrounding the May 2014 stabbing of a 12-year-old girl in Waukesha, Wisconsin by two of her friends, supposedly to please the online legendary monster Slender Man, and several subsequent events which media outlets also attempted to link to the horror meme. I consider the implications of folkloric believability, by which I mean the interplay of belief about a tradition’s status as folklore, which in turn has important implications for the believability of the tradition’s content. I argue that an understanding of the processes through which individuals interact with and shape emergent traditions …

Strategic Deployments Of "Sisterhood" And Questions Of Solidarity At A Women's Development Project In Janakpur, Nepal, Coralynn V. Davis

Faculty Contributions to Books

No abstract provided.