ECTS:
4
Syllabus
The aim of the course is to present the repetitive verbal and non-verbal social behavior of
different ethnic and national groups in the Balkans (including both Slavic and non-Slavic
countries). The students will gain the ability to analyze the key effects of each of these behaviors
such as group integration, the construction of social boundaries etc. During the classes, the main
emphasis will be placed on the rituals and customs of the individual's calendar and life cycles as
well as on activities fulfi lling a magical function. The scope of analysis will encompass selected
examples of these behaviors.
The modules will include an overview of the folklore studies (Folklore sources or ethnographical
sources: what is the difference and is there any difference? Basic terms of folklore studies).
Further, we will investigate the main celebrations of the calendar cycle and their specifi c position
of religion in the Balkans and then we will analyse their characteristics as a part of ritual folklore
and as a theatre (act, actors, scene, theatre props etc.). In the course of this analysis,
participants will be equipped with necessary tools and knowledge allowing them
to make their own discoveries about Balkan beliefs, superstitions and annual festive
celebrations.
Module aim
This course will:
• encourage students to consider problems from multiple perspectives.
• highlight transnational relationships and intercultural understanding.
• enable acquisition of transferable and practical skills (media competences, communication
and presentation skills).
• apply state-of-the-art didactic methods such as research oriented-learning, project work.
The course is linked to the course Anthropology of the Everyday Life on the Balkans and it is
helpful for anyone who is learning languages spoken on the Balkan Peninsula. Depending on the
study programs and interest of the participating students, the focus is fl exible. The linkage to
courses at the home-institutions is also very welcome.
Information
Year: 2020/2021
Semester: Summer
Hours: 18
Language: English
Building:
Room:
Tips:
Topic: Folklore of The Balkans: An Introduction
Module: 03-EPI-FBI
Prerequisites
Study track: European Identities<br />
Keen interest in multiculturalism and the Balkan Peninsula<br />
Year(s) 2 – 3 BA undergraduate<br />
Spring semester, 2021; 9 weeks<br />
Max. enrollment: 20<br />
Location and room(s): Virtual campus, original location: Faculty of Polish and Classical
Philology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań<br />Teaching techniques: multimedia presentations, discussions, collaborative tasks, individual
student presentations<br />
Tools: MS Teams, a dedicated course website
Lecturer
prof. Joanna Rękas
Academic title: professor
Email: rekasus@amu.edu.pl
Reading list
• Dundes, Alan (2005). Folkloristics in the Twenty-First Century (AFS Invited Presidential
Plenary Address, 2004). In: “The Journal of American Folklore”, Vol. 118, No. 470 (Autumn, 2005),
pp. 385-408.
• Connerton, Paul (1989). Commemorative Ceremonies. In: “How Societies Remember”.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 41-71.
