Scope and Contents note Refers to the evening before a missionary preparation day as "P-day eve," and describes it as a time when missionaries share stories about mission experiences. Describes these stories as comforting because they are evidence that many other missionaries struggle with the same experiences they do. Explains that the desired effect of these stories, whether to inspire or to entertain, differs with the environment in which they are told. Divides collected stories into three categories: absurd,...

Scope and Contents note Discusses how automobiles represent the value Americans place on independence and self-sufficiency. Points out a common theme in the collected items of defying restrictions. Mentions "The Driver's Revenge" folklore stories and variants she found in her collected items. Includes a collection of narratives about the experiences teenagers and young adults have with their cars or with driving. Created by Mary Aldred while she was enrolled in Jill Terry Rudy's English 392 class during Fall...

Scope and Contents note Defines dating as a way for people learn to recognize the qualities they want in a spouse. Explains blind dating as an alternative option when traditional dating doesn't lead to marriage. Discusses both sincere and self-serving reasons people have for arranging blind dates. Explains reasons people go on a blind dates despite their negative stigma as 1) a desire not to offend whoever is setting the person up, and 2) a hope that eventually a blind date might result in a rewarding relationship....

Scope and Contents note Discusses the first kiss within the context of gender roles, Latter-day Saint culture, and age and setting. Mentions his findings that generally men experience their first kiss at a younger age than women. Explains that some Latter-day Saints postpone kissing due to cultural limits on physical intimacy. Describes the usual setting for the first kiss as in a secluded place, usually in the evening. Mentions reactions to first kisses - laughing, embarrassment, excitement, etc. Describes the...

Scope and Contents note Describes quoting lines from television and film as a modern supplement for quoting from famous speeches or works of literature. Discusses the role of quoting movies and TV in increasing family solidarity. Explains that some people use movie quotes to bring humor to stressful or upsetting situations. Gives her opinion that a person's personality is revealed through the kinds of quotes they repeat. Created by Bethany Tuft while she was enrolled in Jill Terry Rudy's English 392 course during...

Scope and Contents note Discusses the partial loss of Norwegian cultural heritage experienced by the Hartvigsen family when they immigrated to the United States. Explains the general necessity for immigrant families of the 1800s to assimilate into U.S. culture. Includes family folklore stories about the Hartvigsens' religious experiences as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, stories about religious persecution in Norway that resulted in their immigration, and stories about adjusting to...

Scope and Contents note Includes narratives of Charles' grandparents, Merwin and June Waite, concerning their experiences in the African Congo. Items recorded on three different occasions with different audiences. Narrations and their contexts designated as examples of religious folklore and family folklore. Explains that her grandparents' stories changed based on their audience. Explains that some stories were told to teach the family audience about appropriate values, and some were told to describe what living in...

Scope and Contents note Includes an in-depth discussion of superstition, which Jensen refers to as "a psychological cover," as experienced and exercised by ballet dancers. Explains the prevalence of superstition among dancers as a result of the standard of perfection. Asserts that ballet dancers must also have mental discipline in order to succeed, and that fear is a major obstacle to this mental focus. Jensen explains that superstitions are a way dancers get their minds off fear because they give a sense of...

Scope and Contents note Explains that the stories her family tells over and over again serve the purpose of building solidarity through humor, instead of fulfilling traditional folkloric purposes of warning or instruction. Discusses possible reasons why her mother is the central figure in most of her family's humorous stories. Includes several humorous stories, recorded from memory or transcribed from recordings. Created by Heather Kirby while she was enrolled in Jill Terry Rudy's English 392 class during Winter...