Urban legends and other types of contemporary folklore develop from the morass of the cultures they inhabit–the stories any society tells often a indicator of their obsessions, fears, and social mores. Whether it’s the stories we learned as children, or ones we still believe to this day , they offer a stunning glimpse into our psyche, as well as an anthropological romp through the bizarre, the perverse, the haunted, and the mundane. Join us this semester as we not only revel in the wealth of urban folklore from not only American culture, but beyond, as well as create discussions of how such stories tell us as much as we tell them.
What Happens Next? Contemporary Urban Legends and Popular Culture
The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings
The Choking Doberman and Other “New” Urban Legends
The Mexican Pet: More “New Urban Legends” and Some Old Favorites
The Truth Never Stands in the Way of A Good Story
Film, Folklore, and Urban Legends
Take Walk on the Dark Side: Rock and Roll Myths, Legends, and Curses
