Tag: Carol Silverman

Romani Migration and French Reactions

Presenter: Hannah Schmitz

Mentor: Carol Silverman

Oral Presentation

Major: French/International Studies 

This paper examines the expulsions of Roma that are occurring in France today in terms of history and reactions. First, I discuss the history of Roma populations in France, seeking to reveal the root causes of the prejudices against Roma that exist today. The time period studied is 1787 to the present, with some reference to earlier periods. Second, I analyze the current French government’s actions regarding Roma in terms of the legality of multiple policies and laws. By examining the various groups that are included under the term Gens de voyage (travelling people), and how the French government and its citizens have reacted to them, I shed light on the discriminatory nature of current policies and actions. I focus on both positive and negative reactions following the 2007 migration of Roma to France from Romania and Bulgaria. Data were collected from scholarly books, organizational reports, a range of media sources, and a small survey of French citizens. One aim of the research is to document the history of French discrimination against Roma and contribute to its mitigation.

Traditional Butchering in Oregon; A Folkloric Film Analysis

Presenter: Sarah Buck

Faculty Mentor: John Baumann, Carol Silverman

Presentation Type: Creative Work 2 (GSH 116)

Primary Research Area: Humanities

Major: Folklore

For generations, the Speelman family of Grants Pass, Oregon have been the unconscious preservers of traditional methods of butchering that nearly died out in the early 1900s. Transmitting their knowledge from father to son
and brother to brother, this butchering family presents a unique piece of oft overlooked Oregon folklore. Within this fieldwork project, fieldworker Sarah Buck discusses the theory and methodology which was used during her research, from staples of the folklore discipline to Jim Dodge’s writing on bioregionalism. The folkloric aspects of the Speelman family’s trade is defined and discussed using Dan Ben-Amos’ Towards a Definition of Folklore in Context as a communal knowledge of butchering that is a small cross-section of antiquity which is transmitted through family members verbally and through imitation. The Speelman family’s story is told in short documentary format, in which the fieldworker utilizes filmed interviews, her research and photographs.