New course offered at Tabor
Personal family history, tradition, and folklore can be discovered in a class offered by Tabor College in the spring of 2004.
Peggy Goertzen, director of the Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies, will teach "Family Folklore and Culture" Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m., beginning Feb. 3. The course is offered for either sociology or history credit, or may be audited.
Students learn basic research and interview methods, including use of archival materials as well as government and other documents to discover personal culture and to develop a family narrative.
Family narratives are increasingly popular among all cultural groups, according to Alicia Hughes-Jones, assistant professor of sociology and chair of the Sociology Department at Tabor.
Goertzen emphasizes that the course is more than genealogy. Students also will learn oral history interview skills, how to discern validity and reliability of documents, and how to pull together a variety of data into a credible written document.
All members of the community are welcome to enroll. Three hours of college credit may be earned. Those who wish to take the course but do not seek to complete a degree program may register as guest students by contacting the Offices for Enrollment Management at 620-947-3121.
