University folklore and anthropology professor Carol Silverman@@checked@@ started working on her book “Romani Routes”@@http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780195300949.do@@ two decades ago. Her idea was to bring to light the Balkan Romani ethnic group who are often excluded from European politics and social life because of xenophobia, discrimination and prejudice despite being loved for their music.
“The central paradox of the book is that Roma are reviled as people but adored as musicians,” Silverman said.
Silverman started studying Balkan cultures after developing a folk dancing hobby during her undergraduate stint at the City College of New York.@@checked link@@ She continued her educational path and got her master’s and eventually her Ph.D. in folklore. For Silverman, folklore is more than just stories and fairly tales — it’s about politics and social justice.
The University folklore program announced it adopted an undergraduate major and minor program for fall 2012 this week. The program is now one of seven universities in the country that will offer not just a folklore concentration, but undergraduate major and minor programs, according to the American Folklife Center.@@checked link@@

“I’m the kind of person — and it’s good for young people to hear this — that took my passion and my hobby and made it into my career,” Silverman said. “I feel very lucky, and I feel everybody should try to do that instead of picking something that you may hate but is practical.”
University folklore program director Lisa Gilman@@checked@@ said that students have already shown interest in the new course of study.
“Folklore is the study of everyday expressive culture that is shared within communities of people,” Gilman said. “The things that bring meaning to our lives, help us connect with others and through which we communicate about our identities and values.”
Nathan Moore@@checked@@, a first-year student in the folklore graduate program, doesn’t think other students understand how applicable the major is.
“Folklore is the most relevant major out there,” said Moore, who received his undergraduate degree in sociology from the University. “Every one of us is a member of a folk group, whether it’s a religious group, an ethnic community, or a musical subculture.”
For Moore, the relevance and excitement of the folklore major lies in its interdisciplinary emphasis. He explained that he recently learned how to create and edit a movie because of an assignment he had for class. Moore said that many of the faculty, like Silverman, are versed in fields outside of folklore.
“The folklore faculty at Oregon do an amazing job of promoting the interdisciplinary nature of folklore,” he said. “Not to mention the fact that folklorists are about the most fascinating people you’ll ever meet.
For Silverman, one of the biggest assets to being an interdisciplinary faculty member is being able talk within her department with people who understand her discipline, but also having the freedom to go to other departments and broaden her ideas.
“You can be in your home department talking to people about your interdisciplinary framework,” she said. “But you can reach out to people in other departments, other programs and do really good research and be energized by their contributions.”
In “Romani Roots,” Silverman mixes ideas from both her anthropology and folklore background in order to create a complete package.
“I feel very fortunate at the University, within anthropology and within folklore. I have had a nurturing environment for this kind of intellectual development,” Silverman said. “In all of the interdisciplinary programs that I’ve worked with, I’ve felt support, so I’ve been able to do my work in a more comprehensive manner.”