Child's Play

The question:

Describe a game that you learned in childhood (that was not taught in school or by Milton Bradley).

Implied (as always) is who you learned it from, what are the rules for playing, who would you play it with, etc.

Work

Another question, another week:

If (and when) you've had a job, when did you realise that you were 'good' at it?

What's implied in this question? I guess the understanding that beyond the mastery of a set of particular skills is a recognition of same by co-workers, a pattern of 'fluency', and - ultimately - that a 'good worker' is identified as having acheived a certain status within the group.

When I asked a question last year for this topic, I queried: At your job, have you ever been taught a technique (a way of doing something to make the work easier, more interesting, more efficient) by a co-worker as opposed to more formal training? If you are really stumped by the above question, I recommend thinking it through this lens.

And, if you haven't had a job - which as far as I'm concerned includes such things as being a babysitter, a structured past-time with skills and responsibilities like a sports team, and even being a student - well, nicely done.

Ethnicity

As I said in class, these tended to fall into four categories. Many quickly identified an ethnicity based principally on origin (Scottish, Trinidadian); some didn't want to limit themselves to one ("on my mother's side... / on my father's side...", although "Heinz 57" and "Mutt" are emic terms also employed); some thought themselves no different from friends and neighbours that they didn't think it a 'significant' part of their identity or sense of self; lastly, some proposed Cape Breton as an ethnic group. All told, distinctiveness was the operable concept. All very cool.

1. For me, the concept of ethnicity includes ancestral background, race and physical appearance, culure, language, and religion as organizing principles. My ethnicity is a major part of my self-identity, especially in terms of ancestry and culture. I am of Scottish descent on both sides of my family and my maternal grandmother emigrated from Glasgow to Canada in the 1950's. Most of our family culture is therefore Scottish in origin whether it's an undying obsession with Scottish sweets (thanks to my grandmother) or mistrust for anyone with the last name Campbell (my maternal grandfather was a MacDonald with ties to Glencoe). It's through my ethnicity that I feel the most connected with other people and it's also a static part of my identity - no matter how I change I will always be Scottish. It's also been important to me since I was a child and is something that I will pass down to my children.
2. Answer- An ethnic group or ethnicity is a population of human beings whose members identify with each other. Ethnic groups usually share common culture, linguistic, religious, or behavioural traits. I strongly believe that ethnicity constitutes a significant part of your self identify. It what you grow up learning. It is determined by certain experiences and observation of close others. When you are first born, you dont have ethinicity. It is something in which you learn and build on. For example, if someone was french, they wouldent start to develop their ethnicity for it untill they reach maybe age 4 or so. Ethnicicty is strongly determind by child development and certain involvment.
3. Yes, my ethnicity constitutes a significant part of my self identity. I come from a Scottish and Irish background. My Father's side being Gaelic Scottish and My Mother's side is Irish. As far back as I can remember my father would rock me to sleep every night to celtic music including Gaelic songs. When I wasn't at home I spent the alot of time at my grandparents house, who were Irish from NewFoundland. I heard alot of the same music there. My grandfather like to listen to the radio, alot. The Jack Pelley show, it played newfie tunes, Irish and Scottish music. Everytime my Dad picked me up from Brownies we listened to the Donnie Campbell Show, more fiddle tunes! I remember my sister and I always complained when we had to go on long trips in the car because we had to listen to fiddle tunes, but now that I'm older I really appreciate the music and my background. My Grandmother traveled around Cape Breton to different festivals to step dance. My mother is a step dancer, and my sister and I were also in step dancing growing up. My parents and there friends, who are musicians get together about once a month and have a jam session playing their celtic music and when I'm there, sometimes I do a little step with my Mom. Although I've come to appreciate musical part of my background, I vow that when my kids misbehave I will take them for a long drive in the car and play nothing but fiddle music!
4. basically, no.For me,i dont associate myself strongly to a strong feeling of ethnicity.If i were to cling to my concept of ethnicity as pertaining to my origins, be they religious or referring to where my family "came" from ,then i would say definately my ethnicity is not significant to my identity.I am ,for the most part what is losely called a heinz 57.In fact only this september after the death of my gandfather, did i find out that he was Polish, and not Ukranian as previously pounded into my head as a child.With my father's side of the family being a vast mixture also, I just dont associate myself with any distinct culture In a larger setting, i suppose I could define my ethnicity as belonging to the group known as "cape Bretoners".Indeed I was born in Cape Breton, and I reside here,but i dont feel any special ties here,besides of course my family living here.Most of my professional life was basd on th mainland, and the next 40 years of my life i hope to spend elsewhere.So as far as an ethnicity having to do with my feelings of similarities with a group and desire to maintain that closeness, I dont believe that type of ethnicity constitutes a significant part of my identity either. My identity,my sense of self identity is for the most part, a changing process.
5. I think my Cape Breton side is important to my identity. Growing up we never talked about my Maltese side, it has only been in the last few years that I have started looking into my culture. I was really happy when I happened upon my father speaking to his aunt back in Malta. It was cool to hear my language. Everything about me is Cape Bretonish. I am a proud Cape Bretoner.
6. I think my ehtnicity has a significant part in my identity. I see my self as a young woman who grew up in a small area where lobsterfishing fiddle music and gaelic were a strong part of the community, I grew up in North Shore but ended up moving to Baddeck when i was 8 so i spent the rest of my childhood years with friends who had very different view how to live during the summer, although only being 45 minutes away from where i had started my life, it was very different. and more civilized I was surprised when my friends laughed at me when i said i played in the dirt pile for fun.
   now when i think back I miss thoes days! and i think it has made me become a stronger more independent person. I still look forward to my lobster fishing adventures and fiddle and gaelic music are a huge part of my life now, i am always listening to it. I loved growing up where i could have some space from my parents. When living in north shore I could remember my parents being alot more easier on me when it came to rules. but when i moved to baddeck they wern't just knowing that i would be out near a street scared them, but knowing that i would be playing in the woods didn't ...funny thing eh??
7. Ethnicity can be defined in many different ways with regards to racial, national, or cultural group. I consider myself a Cape Bretoner above any other ethnic group I may be a part of because it constitutes a significant part of my identity. There are parts of my personality that ultimately comes from living in Cape Breton and being engrossed in the culture all of my life. The way I view the world around me has been shaped by my experience growing up in Cape Breton in a home that is enriched in Cape Breton traditions; such as its music and stories. To me explaining why identify as being a Cape Bretoner is hard because it is not something I can explain; it is something I feel. I am proud to be from Cape Breton it is my home.
8. consider that my ethnicity does impact on my self identity in a number of ways. In many ways, the effect is stealthy. I don't feel I have any real connection to old traditions or folkways until I meet someone from my own culture who is immersed in them. Half of my family is Irish, and the other half is Scottish. It's a fairly even split with a few anomalies. I haven't lived in Nova Scotia all of my life. When I went to Alberta, I felt most isolated. Even though there were plenty of people from Newfoundland or Nova Scotia, they didn't seem to be quite the same. Something of our ethnicity seems to be motivated or informed by our environment. Another way in which my ethnicity has impacted me, seems to be how accepted I am in society. I come "from here", and I'm accepted whether I'm walking in to a shoppe to talk to someone, or meandering into a fire hall during a dance to seek someone out. I get stopped to talk, I get calls of "Who do you belong to now?" from older ladies, and "Now did I know yer' father?" from the men. Something about the way I speak, the way I look, the way I move, or other intangibles, screams out my ethnicity to the air around here, and more often than not I will find that family ties reaching back a considerable distance relate me to total strangers.I feel that my ethnicity might not be as much of a defining factor as it would be if I were absolutely raised within it, but that it certainly has had a dynamic impact on not just my interpersonal relationships, but definitively upon how I think about myself. From the Scottish and Irish poetry I studied as part of looking into my own ethnicity (which actually drove me to begin writing as a hobby, and later a little more seriously), to the incidental knowledge I've picked up in ancient culture, rituals, and the legends of old Ireland, it's all informed by where my family's been before. And that seems like enough of a working definition for "ethnicity" to me.
9. this question has caused me to think quite a bit about what is being asked. for myself, i don't think my ethnicity is a significant part of my self-identity, but it is part of it. i am scottish cape bretoner, and very proud of this fact. i'm not 100% scottish, but it is the part of my backround i am most proud of. although i'm not a big klit wearer, or bagpipe player, i do enjoy the occasional celtic tune and dance. my father is very proud of his roots, and tells us all about our family history, how we came to cape breton, and what the mackinnon clan was like in scotland. i believe that without this knowledge and pride i have for my name, i may not be the same person i am now. to me, name doesn't mean everything, but it still means something.
10. Since I grew up in a Canadian community predominately populated by people of Christian/Caucasian/British ancestry– which I myself am also a part of– I never considered my ethnicity as a part of my self-identity. The majority of the people around me all practiced the same traditions and customs that I did; i.e. Christmas, Easter. When the chance came to practice traditions or customs that were not part of my own ethnicity, I was unsure whether to participate or not because I felt that these were not my own to practice. I realized then that my ethnicity is a part of my self-identity as it can subtly prevent/cause me to participate in everyday activities.
11. I am a mutt. There are so many different bloods in me that I fail to remember them all if I am asked. It is because of this "muttness" that I go out of my way to identify with one of my backgrounds or groups. One example of this is my French heritage, which my family has uncovered thanks to a simple project that began in grade nine. We now acknowledge ourselves openly as part French as well as part Irish, English, Scottish and a myriad of other ethnicities. The best part of this is that I can connect my family to pretty much anyone who has family in L'Aoirdois. Weird. Regardless, French is part of who I am, and even though I do not speak it well, I am happy to be part Frenchie.
12. Yes ethnicity makes up a part of my identity because ethnicity includes ethnic traits, background, allegiance and association which are part of my identity which makes me who I am and gives me a chance to learn more about different groups and lets me have a "sameness" with who I am already similar.
13. I have always defined ethnicity as where your roots lie. As in where your parents. and grandparents are born. Holding to this I would define myself as Canadian technically, as both my parents were born and raised in Canada. However my dad's parents were not, so because of this, while I still consider myself Canadian, I recognize that I have significant Indian (from India, just to specify), roots as part of my ethnic background. On my mum's side though, her family has been in Canada forever, but it is the best guess that her roots lie in a mix of French, English, Scottish and Irish. I don't believe that my ethnicity constitutes a significant part of my self identity because I grew up in Canada, with out any influence from either the White Christian heritage of my mother, or the Indian Hinduism heritage of my father. As both my parents were raised away from their respective roots, I too was raised in a mixed household that allowed self-exploration through interests and personality rather than that of where my families had come from.
14. Ethnicity plays a role in my life but only to a certain point, my hometown constitues a significant part of who I am but besides that, Im my own person. I consider my hometown as a ethnicity because it played a role of who I am today. By being a part of a community of approx. two hunrdred people played a role as me being friendly to everyone, knowing everyone within the community and learning alot more about neighbours, history, etc.
15. When it comes to ethnicity I really don't think that it really shapes who you are. I think if I was part of a different ethnic group I would still be the same person. The way I was raised makes me who I am today not my race. We are all the same in many different ways. My family taugh me right from wrong and how to act in different situations. My family is a very close nit family and everyone in it had a part of raising me. I am who I am today from all the experiences in life I had, and from my family raising me to be who I am today.
16. Yes, I think it affects me. I didn't really understand the question that much just because I never actually sat down and thought about it affecting my life in anyway. The only things that I could actually think about was how some things we do are different from other countrys or even other provinces. For example, some gestures we do could mean a totally different thing to someone not from around here. It doesn't affect me in everyway. I was raised, I believe, just like any other child. Other people may think the way I was raised, or what my mother did was wrong or weird but the only way I could see what she did differently would be to go to another culture and see how they do it. It would be very interesting to be able to see how different everyone in the world actually is. Its different from the amount of food you put on your plate to the way you wave, so I definitely believe it affects my life in many ways.
17. think my ethnicity play a part of who I am, my self identity becuase I think its hard for it not too. I am proud of who my ancestors are and love to hear about there struggles and triumphs. On my fathers side I am english and on my Mothers side I am Dutch. I try to learn some dutch when I am with my grandfather and hear about their stories. We follow some traditions around the holidays that were passed down from different generations. I am a strong roman catholic. My Grandfather on my fathers side is very religious and hold some morals, beliefs close to his heart which have become very important and sacred to me. Theses different things make me proud of who I am, where I came from and help me make sense of why I believe the things I believe.
18. When I think of ethnicity I think about where people come from. Not only their ancestors but also where they grew up, their language, religion, and family life; all play a part in someone’s ethnicity. I think that my own ethnicity does constitute a significant part of my self-identity because what I went through made me who I am today. My grandfather was German and my grandmother was Scottish I grew up to see parts of me that come from their backgrounds. I never grew up to know my other grandparents and therefore do not see any of my personality coming from there backgrounds. However my grandparents backgrounds are only part of my ethnicity because I am born and raised a Cape Bretoner, and that where most of my ethnicity comes from. It is not only where you come from that makes your ethnicity but also where you are right now. That is why my ethnicity is a significant part of my identity.
19. Yes, I defiantly believe that my ethnicity is an important factor in my self-identity. My ethic background plays an important role in my beliefs, values, and of course my personality. I believe that ethnicity helps define a person’s background, where they came from, who they are, and also helps shape and impact their future. It helps people identify with other people, and also it helps them relate to other people about such things as religion and cultural traits. Some of these issues are very important in a person’s life, including my own life and also my families as well.
20. It's hard for me to tell how big an influence ethnicity plays in my identity. My identity as a white person is not something i am conscious of on a day to day basis. Even being of scottish heritage I don't participate in any traditions that would be considered strictly scottish or celtic but i still consider myself scottish. My ethnic characteristics don't distinguish my identity. I believe my personality makes up my identity, but where you come from still plays a small part.
21. Being out of my own country and studying in Cape Breton where my race is obviously the minority, I do find myself defining myself by my ethnicity. My ethnicity is a major part of my self identity, it is probably one of the more known ways I or people define me. I’m not white, yellow or black, I’m brown and I’m from the Caribbean. People ask me if I’m Indian, and even though my ancestors are Indian, my answer is usually no, I’m Trini. I am from Trinidad and Tobago and it constitutes a major part of my self identity because much of our customs are different and can be quite noticeable in the way I present myself, in my accent, slang and music.
22. I think my ethnicity somewhat affects my character, maybe because the way I was raised. The reason why I think this is because many ethnic groups have different beliefs and morals when teaching their children. Other cultures also have different traditions that set us apart from one another and maybe affect our character.
23. I think ethnicity does constitute a large part of your self identity. It should anyway. Whatever you consider your ethnicity which maybe your home town, province, country or family orgin. I for one am thankful of all 4. I am proud of my Scottish backround, you have to believe that many of your ancestors have the same traits as yourself and I like to think that Scottish people as a whole are very friendly. The same thing goes for Canada and Nova Scotia in general.
24. My ethnicity affects my identity. I have an English and Irish background. I celebrate some traditions that trace their roots back to these countries (i.e. the celebration of Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day etc.) The main thing about having this background is that I don’t have unique traditions for this area because people with these backgrounds are part of the majority. However this part of my ethnicity is not the most important component of my heritage. Being Canadian is what makes me who I am. I feel it is important to celebrate Canadianness (yes I just made up a word). As a Canadian I tend to act in the way Canadians are thought to act (i.e. being polite, generous, honest, etc.). This is just a great country and we enjoy so many rights and freedoms that it is hard not to love this country. It is a significant part of my identity because I am proud of being a canuck. I participate in government by voting and do what I can to better my community through volunteer work. When I was in England this past summer it was awesome being a Canadian because everyone looked up to us. This example just goes to show how respected Canadians are on the global scale.
25. In some aspects my hellenic 'ethnicity' constitutes a minor part of my self identity but not a major part whatsoever. While I enjoy Souvlaki and more roasted lamb that i can stick in my face, I do not participate in the cultural activities that the other young adults of my culture participate in. I do not observe the cultural holidays in which I am expected to celebrate. For example when it is my name day I am likely to thank the person who is wishing me a happy name day rather then to tell them I do not celebrate it at all.

C'mon people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together, learn to love one another right now

Ethnicity

Electrifying class today: very cool. So, keeping with that, this week's question:

Does your 'ethnicity' constitute a significant part of your self-identity? Why or why not?

As always, you should describe what you mean by 'ethnicity.'

I'm a little slow in adding last week's answers, but they will be up by tomorrow at the latest.

By the way, unless the bookstore is back in stock, I have some photocopies of the next reading outside my office door. There are about seven, which hopefully is enough to fill the gap.

Answers: Folk groups

A little late off the mark, but here we go: answers to the folk group question. Again, you see a broad range of things, from family (including interesting sub-groups within a family, like 'the women' or a pair of brothers), to sports groups, to Cape Breton, to fan cultures. Some of you have noticed groupings (like "Occupational" or "Ethnic") that crop up later in the semester, so, um, good for you. Some even suggested that affilnity for a particular activity - hackysack - makes one part of an international community: the 'common interest' is enough for wholly new groups to emerge (and disband).

1. At an early age I have become very interested in music. Not at first was I making music of my own, but I always loved listening to music or watching people performe. As years went by, I finally got my first guitar at age of 9 and began to take lessons. As years proceeded further, my interests grew. I expanded my musical abilities from guitar, to bass, to drums, to piano, and am still increasing. It was around the age of 13 when i formed my first band. Although we sucked horably, we loved it. We learned old school rock covers and eventually started to play little shows such as birthday partys and house partys. That band didnt last too long though, after many member changes we decided to split up. Going from band to band i began meeting alot of new people who shared the same extreme interest in music as i did. After years of band changes i finally found the one in which i thought was right. We worked really hard and eventually recorded a cd and were getting pretty good exposure. Now we are curently on a major break writing new songs so we can make a new cd and tour in the summer. The 3 years of this band consisted of alot of hard work to get where we have gotten. Each member learned to coop with one another and each take part in there own responsiblitities. We work as a group, all focused on the same goal. We practise alot, play shows alot, and write new material alot. It wouldn't work like this if one of us wasnt as dedicated as we are. Also, it wouldn't work if one of us weren't focused on the same factor. We are indeed a fold group. We may not look upon ourselves as a folk group, but we are in fact one. I believe a band that works good within its limits and is focused on the same common factor is deffinitly conciderd as a cultural folk group.


2. I am, by nature, a very solitary person, and so cannot lay claim to being a part of many groups. Those that I am a part of, however, can be seen as very important to the identification of myself. One such group is that of "Star Wars" fandom, whose members range from the fans of the movies to those people who dress up, go into parks and fight with one another using plastic lightsabers. I am in the middle here, having a venerable library of book and memoribilia, and yet do not go and partake in aforementioned events. Oddly enough, I have been unable to find another who shares the same interests in this franchise. Regardless if I am the only one who participates in the celebration of a ground breaking movie saga, it is a group that I can call friends, and if I stretch it, maybe even Family.


3. Folk groups are surrounding, no matter where you stand your a part of a certain folk group. An important folk group of where I belong would be my hometown. Labrador is my hometown, where I grew up, met friends, went to school, learned everything about life that I needed to know. I consider Labrador my folk group due to the fact that I know so much about the place, it made me proud of my people and most of all our traditions such as mummering during Christmas. Labrador as a whole stands for more then I actually know but from being from the Southern Labrador Coast I sure know of where I stand as a true Labradorian and it will stick with me until the day I die. Yes, I’m now a part of Cape Breton but it doesn’t have the same meaning of folk group as what my hometown does.


4. A folk group that i consider myself being a aprt of would be Scouts Canada , I used to be a Beaver Leader since 1998, and i althought i no longer do it I still help out as often as i can wether it be a sleepovers or bake sales. I beleive this could be a folk group because we all have the same values about being a beaver leader and we all feel that volunteering our time to help younger kids is worth while I could be involved in many other folk groups but this is the only one i thought of.


5. A folk group that I am a part of would probably be my MacDonald family members, that I spend time with during the holidays and other family events. We usually eat a family supper and enjoy each others company. My family is a folk group because we share the same heritage and a certain bond with one another.


6. One folk group in which I am a member of is as a resident of New Waterford. There are many things about the people of New Waterford and the town itself that make us distinct. At 8:30 pm every night our local Volunteer fire department sets off what is known as the Eight-Thirty Whistle which started as a curfew and continues as a tradition to this day. As children we were told that we had to be home or in our yards when the whistle went off. Our community has many celebrations such as Coal Dust Days; a weeklong celebration of our community usually around the third week of July. Every February our town hosts the Annual Coal Bowl Classic which is a weeklong basketball tournament. My town also commemorates the death of a minor who was shot to death On June 11 by the coal company security forces at Waterford Lake during the miners’ strike of 1925; it is known as Davis Day. My community takes pride in our mining history along with our cultures and traditions.


7. A folk group that I am a member of is a religious folk group. My family & I are catholic, and attend church on a regular basis. I believe that being part of this group means a lot to our family and the way we interact with each other and also other people. Religion helps identify who I am and shapes my values, beliefs, and of course my behavior in every day life. I believe being catholic is an example of a folk group because this is an example of a group I belong to where two or more people share common factors and beliefs.


8. Folk group in which i am a member : University student What makes it a folk goup : we all share the common interest of learning. the things we learn in university are communicated from one generation to the next (prof to student).


9. I participate in Tae Kwon Do. It is very traditional. We learn about the culture and heritage of Korea while learning this awsome martial art. Tae Kwon Do was passed down from father to son for many, many generations. It is how Korea trains their military now actually. The only aspect of Tae Kwon Do that has changed is that we don't try to kill each other now a days. It is meant for self-defence, good health, pride and self- confidence.


10. A folk group which I am of member of is one made up of about eight females in my family and extended family.Each year in December my mother, sister, aunts, cousins and myself travel to Halifax for a weekendto go on a Christmas shopping trip. We stay in a hotel and go out to eat at a nice restaurant. We all share an interest in shopping. It is a weekend for us females to bond and have some family fun. We share lots of laughs and memories and plan on continuing this with our kids and grandkids.


11. As a fan of the Harry Potter book series, this connects me to other fans of the Harry Potter books series because we all share this common interest; therefore myself and other fans are all part/members of a folk group. Aside from reading the books, members of this particular folk group may discuss the books’ characters and the plots with other members, watch the film adaptations of the books, or collect paraphernalia related to the series.


12. I took highland dance lessons for 5 years from Forrester Dance, I think it is a folkgroup because we all had the same interest in learning part of our Scottish heritage, highland fling, sword dance etc. because they were dances they had in the old days and still passing on the tradition in this generation.


13. One folk group I am a part of is the Sydney Academy Boys division 1 basketball team. My boyfriend is the head coach of the team and I mark score and help out with tournaments. We also fun raise a lot so any time they need help with that I'm there as well, working in the canteen or even just selling tickets, 50/50 or on baskets. This past weekend I drove a van of kids to Halifax for a tournament, and everyone else who is a part of this group all car pooled together. The folk group consists of the teams members, coachs, and also their mothers and fathers. We all love basketball who is a part of this folk group and we all meet at the games, usually, every tuesday and thursday nite to chear on our team. Sometimes we will get together and wear all blue and white, because thats our teams colors. We even make signs or noise makers to really get loud and chear for our team. The kids that go to Sydney Academy would also be a part of this folk group too but there are a certain few of us that are there consistently there every week being a part of the team.


14. One folklore group that im a part of would be the Macdonald Elementary Girls Basketball Team. One of my friends is the head coach and then me and two other friends help assist her with coaching. We practise on Thursdays and Sundays, and usually have one game a week. The girls range from grade 4 to grade 6. There is 12 girls on the team. The four of us coaches usually get together and talk about games, practises, and how the girls are doing. We also set up fundraisers and we had a Christmas party for them. We are invited to two tournaments this year so we will have to put aside two of our weekends for the girls. These young girls look up to us so we have to be rolemodels for them. I think this is a folklore group because all 16 of us have something in common, basketball. Us four coaches all love every part of the game and want to share our skill with these young athletes. We take time out of our day to teach the girls and to make sure they learn and have a fun year playing basketball. The 12 young girls all come to basketball every week hoping to learn something new and we hope that we can teach them so they can go on to jr. high and play at a higher level.


15. I am a part of a few folk groups. I am of Irish and English ancestry. This constitutes a folk group because it is something I share this with other people. This is a very general folk group. A more specific example of a folk group I am a member of is air cadets. I was in it since I was 12. Air Cadets is a folk group because it is a meaningful organization that brings people together. Cadets has many distinct behaviours, customs and traditions. They include marching, music, dress regulations, orders etc. People act in a certain way and tend to do the same thing. Cadets is something I share with people and because it is done basically the same way everywhere. It is meaningful because people attend routinely and make it part of their lives, they feel they are gaining something by being a member. Being a volunteer for the Salvation Army may also be considered a folk group. Everyone who volunteers with this organization shares the same goal. This goal is to raise money for the needy and people work together to do this. I participate in the annual Christmas kettle drive. People in folk groups share something that is meaningful; this can be anything really from a charitable organization to a musical group. Everyone is a part of a folk group in one form or another; in fact one could argue that folklore, the course, is a folk group. Everyone in the class shares the meaningful factor that we want to pass and we have to participate in the traditions of assignments, homework and an exam and of course folklore itself should just be meaningful to everyone.


16. A folk group I belong to is one in which I live, Cape Breton. I have taken part in the well known, "kitchen party," and I have endured many hours of the Rankins, Rita MacNeil, and Natalie MacMaster.


17. I belong to the folk group of " Forrester School of Celtic Dance " It is a dance company that shares many interests and activities. We all love celtic music uncluding all of the instruments involved. We all share a passion for fiddles, bodhrans, piano, bagpipes vocals and of course our steppin feet! We all travel together and perform both traditional and modern dances, step dances. They mean a lot to us and are proud to carry these traditions on.


18. When asked the question “What folk group are you a member of?” I immediately thought that I was not a member of any folk group. But after further investigation of what an actual folk group is, I found that I was part of one. The folk group I am part of is the group of brothers. Some of the “guidelines” in determining which folk group a person belongs to are as follows: two or more people who share a common interest, identity markers, etc. The folk group to some would not necessarily be an actual group, but based on these guidelines, it is. As I was reading my notes on folk groups I noticed that a folk group didn’t necessarily mean it had to be an actual physical group such as Alcoholics Anonymous etc, but it could be a group in which two people share at least one common factor. The bond between me and my brother is a bond that we cannot break, which is the first common factor that me and my brother share, the relation of brothers. The second common factor that we share is our blood type, we have the same parents, therefore we have the same blood, and his blood is my blood. Thirdly, we have the same parents, you might not know by how the two of us look so different, but we do. Fourthly, we have the same family; cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents etc. Based on these common factors we are a group. These factors are more that factors however, they are identity markers that we consider meaningful, as would any other relationship. Sure my brother and I have our ups and downs, but this comes with the fact that we are bothers and the fact that I am nearly a decade older than him. I live my life, and he lives his, but we find time to bring our lives together and really just be brothers. Whether is it playing video games, watching a movie or just talking, the activities that we do bring us together. Being away from home being own my own, making mistakes and having only myself to rely on, just living out my life on my own has been hard, but the fact that I have family and talk to them has helped. Out of everyone that I have left behind I miss my brother the most, it seems strange because we live out or own lives, and it is just a fact of life that people move on, but the common factors that we share keep us together.


19. At my work two sets of folkgroups exist. I would consider all the associates that work during the day a folkgroup and all the associaters that work weekends and evenings a different folkgroup. I've been apart of both because i didn't attend school last semester so i usually worked during the day. Since i went back to school i've changed shifts and also folkgroups. What makes each of these a folkgroup is the different experiences, the different kinds of work, and relating to that work, for example during the day every time we get a cycle count we talk about how much we hate them, but the evening crew don't have to do them so they can't relate the same way the day shift would. These are the things that give future shop two folkgroups instead of the whole store being one folkgroup.


20. The folk group in which I associate myself with most would be the NSGA (Nova Scotia Golfers Assotiation). This was the first thing that came to mind because golf is so important to me, it takes up a good amount of my time over the summer. I think it is a folk group because it has many of the characteristics of folk. It is very important, the people part of the group share the same feelings and many of the same characteristics of one another. I also feel a folk group should have some tradition to it and the NSGA has many years under its belt (1920's) and golf even more history. For this I feel the NSGA would be considered a folk group.


21. I belong to a very elite folk group; the group is known as the Cape Breton Hackeysackers. Us “Sackheads” are quite close knit and even if we have never met, anyone can walk into one of the random circles that pop up everywhere one goes and be greeted with a smile. At first one may not think of this activity as a folk group, in fact I am inclined to think of it as a sport, but if one were to leave the island they would realize something I have just learned recently and should always have known. This being that the tricks I have grown to love so much are known by completely different names, also depending upon where you are the calling of hackysack varies significantly.


22. I am still unsure about what is consider a folk group and because I do not belong to many groups the only one that I can think of that has traditions, and ceremonies is the church I belong to. We all have a common believe in God and our religion. We have weekly services that keep us together as a group. Besides the weekly services we have other distinct services like getting a baby dedicated to the church, or getting baptized and becoming a member of the church. We also have a day at the first of December where anyone who goes to the church can sing or read, or do something that they want, giving people a way to interact with the church. I think that because of the history and the traditions that my church has that it is a folk group.
23. One of the folkgroups I am a member of is the one that we (me and some of my friends) do every Wednesday that America's Next Top Model is on. This is a folkgroup because it is a significant factor that four or five of us every single week gather together to watch it. We always watch it in Chantel's room, with subtitles on. Every week we always guess at which girl is going to have the top photo, and comment on which girls took the best pictures. We even always have certain places that we sit when we watch Top Model. This is an important folkgroup because even though we all live in different residences, we always come together and do certain things every week that we watch Top Model.
24. I belong to many folk groups but the one that sticks out the most in my mind is the ability to cook. I can not think of many of my friends that can cook or follow a recipe. I'm not being mean they just suck. Well that did sound mean but my friend Karen is trying to get me to teach her how to cook the basics and I have tasted more burnt food and swallowed more uncooked food then should ever be allowed. She has her hart in the right place but she just doesn't get it. My parents taught me how to cook, well mostly my Dad. He was a house husband, who when starting out over cooked everything but in the end was one of the best chefs I have ever had the pleasure meeting. My Mom's family all bake and cook but most do the baking part a lot better then the cooking. Each aunt and uncle has their own dish that they make for all the family gatherings, and now I start to bring my own dishes. Being able to cook is something that sets me apart for most of my friends. They are just starting to lean and I am well on my way. (At least I think I am.)
25. I guess I would be a part of the Hellenic (Greek) folk group although my presence and participation in those folk activities has dwindled. As a Greek we eat.... a lot. Furthermore love to dance listen to loud Mediterranean music and enjoy large family gatherings. We are a culture very much in Diaspora and we relate to the social and cultural norms of our homelands of Cyprus and Greece and eventually wish to return there.
26. I somewhat understand this question I think ..... For as long as I could remember my old bus driver "Ralph" drove our route everyday... he was old.. and drove a couple generations before me.. he eventually retired.. I am part of the folk group that used to go on the "Ralph" bus???? I am on a support group for breast feeding mothers.. is that one? It should be I guess. uhh.. I dont get it.. lol I attend the CBU and have my own little part of the building called the MCI (Mi'kmaq Center Institute) where all of us Mi'kmaq people hang out.. And it's been here since the University was made I guess..

Pretty rich melting pot we got here, n'est-ce pas?