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Project 1 "Family” Folklore Project

             For this project, you will describe in detail one customary observance of a family tradition (or tradition of another folk group to which you belong).  This may be an event that takes place during the semester, prior to the project due date, or a relatively recent past event that you are able to remember in detail.  Although your folk group may have observed this tradition on multiple occasions, you should focus upon just one event. 

Your description should include a chronological presentation of what occurred during a specific enactment of the observance, including any preparations that were necessary.  You should carefully provide the setting (time and place), persons involved, and traditional and unique aspects of the particular enactment that you focus upon.  The comparison between “traditional” and “unique” is particularly important, for you need to suggest through your description the dynamic between the forces of custom and tradition and innovation.  Additionally, based upon information provided by your consultant (or known to you), you should provide explanations of the meaning behind each of the major items and/ or actions involved in the observance.  Your analysis of the event should also involve an explanation of why this particular instance differed from “tradition”; where no differences were observed, you should explore why the customs are so rigorously followed by the group.

 For this project, you may simply draw upon your own memory.  However, if you do interview someone else, that person should be clearly identified and you should have his/ her permission to describe the event.  You may use pseudonyms for the people and places involved, based upon the wishes of your consultant. 

You will also provide some form of visual documentation of an important aspect(s) of the event that you describe.  This may be a drawing, map, diagram, photograph, or other item that may be turned in with your paper.  Be sure to explain its relevance to your study within the paper and/ or in a caption. 

Although it is not required, you may use library or Internet sources to also help clarify things or provide additional information.  If you do so, you must cite them within the text and provide a separate list of references cited (in MLA format at the end of your paper).  Any ideas, information, terms, or quotes obtained from an outside source (brochure, lecture, book, course textbook, Internet, article, etc.) must be cited in the text and a complete citation should be provided in a “references cited” section.  The library’s reserve section has an MLA style manual to demonstrate proper citation formats (also see your textbook for examples).  Failure to provide these citations is plagiarism and will result in failure in the course.

You will turn in an anthropological analysis of your experience that is at least 2 pages long (typed in Times New Roman or Arial font, double-spaced, 12-point font, one inch margins) with at least one form of visual documentation (labeled to show its relevance to the paper).  You are required to turn in a title page (with your name, class, and title).  The title page, your visual documentation, and any references you cite will NOT count towards the 5-page minimum.  To fulfill all of the requirements in only five pages, you will have to write very concisely - if you want to turn in a longer paper to be sure that you cover all of the required aspects of the Project, that's fine.  Remember, most students do require longer than the 5-page minimum to adequately cover the requirements of the Project – it is quite unlikely that doing just the “minimum” will result in anything higher than an average grade (C) on the paper.