关键词:
LEGENDS
FICTION
摘要:
Journal of American Folklore116.462 (2003) 489-490Siblings Mariamne H. Whatley, a biologist, and Elissa R. Henken, a folklorist, have produced an outstanding example of applied folklore and interdisciplinary collaboration in this book. Although folklore and biology may appear to have little in common at first glance, this project demonstrates how folklore methodology and analysis can be applied to benefit any number of other fields. It grew out of the two scholars' sharing of stories and questions that arose in their teaching: "When students would ask the folklorist about the biological/ medical possibility of a belief or legend, she would turn to the biologist for help. When the biologist got more attuned to recognizing legends, she would check them out with the folklorist" (p. ix).The result of this collaboration is a book intended for a general audience, including health educators, parents, and secondary school teachers and librarians, examining in detail a variety of sexual legends currently circulating in oral tradition, as well as through e-mail and other electronic means. It begins by explaining the nature of folklore for lay readers and includes nine other chapters, each focusing on a cluster of legends on related themes—for example "You Can't Get Pregnant Your Very First Time: Understandings of Fertility and Birth Control in Folk Beliefs," "The Tiny Gift-Wrapped Coffin: Addressing Fears of AIDS," and "Of Gerbils and Stomach Pumps: Homophobia in Legends." The final chapter addresses how educators and parents can use folklore to teach young people about sexuality. It also addresses multicultural health education and the need for educators and clinicians to understand indigenous models of health and illness, even as they negotiate a treatment plan that can bridge cultural *** addition to legends, the book features jokes and material from films and television programs that show how the narratives reflect widespread attitudes and assumptions. The data are