Hello, my name is Denise McKeown. Welcome to Folklore and the vernacular of companion dog cloning: Examining beliefs and ethics in regards to pet cloning.
I am a folklorist, which is a fancy way to say I study folklore, and this course is based on what I have learned about cloning and people’s beliefs about it.
Folklore, at is very core, is the lore of the folk OR the stories of the people. When people talk about and represent companion dog cloning I see connections to the way we create and share folklore to understand the world and our place in it.
By focusing on what people say, we can start to understand the kinds of expectations and beliefs people have in regards to pet cloning, specifically companion dog cloning.
In this course we focus on vernacular language- which is the everyday language- people use influenced by other sources such as mainstream or pop culture like books and movies.
Examining the different ways people talk about cloning provides insights into their
personal beliefs and expectations regarding the process. But it also offers insights into how they feel about several other topics including how money should be spent or what should be considered natural and so much more. When we understand what people believe about
cloning we start to see how people create their own social worlds and understand their different from other channels of unofficial knowledge. This helps us understand how people think of and talk about cloning.
We also spend time talking about representation and how the use of specific words provides insights into how people feel about cloning or any other topic. And at how different words can change what we think of the topic.
In module 2 we talk about the somatic cell nuclear transfer cloning process, the process used to clone companion dogs. We continue this exploration with a very short overview on words people use to express themselves, we also explore some of the reasons someone might want to clone their companion dog and what people believe is at stake when a dog is cloned.
In Modules 4 we look at some more of the common controversies surrounding companion dog cloning. Whether or not people agree or disagree with cloning they have something to say about it. We start with the ways people talk about the cost of the procedure and how the cost refers to more than just money.
Next we look at the different ways people express their distrust in the cloning companies with allegations that the companies take advantage of grieving pet owners.
Moving on we explore some of the ways people talk about cloning as going against nature and what natural might mean.
Cloning is such a new technology that many people find it difficult to believe but they also find it hard to talk about. In Module 5 we look at some of the difficulties cloning clients have in talking about different aspects of cloning.
We also talk about silent narratives. These are the parts of the story that no one talks about.
And how they impact what we know about cloning.
Lastly, we wrap up the course with highlights from the previous modules.
And like I mentioned earlier, module 6 is the final test. It consists of multiple choice questions and true or false questions.
At the end of many videos there’s a “recommended sources” list for people who want to know more about certain topics. You do not have to read the articles or watch the videos but they will help you understand some of the main points in the course.
A reference list is located at the end of each video and it can also be found in written form under the “resources for this lecture”.
It may be beneficial for you to take notes during the course. I suggest that you keep a learning journal nearby so you can write down answers to the questions I ask. It’s also a good idea to write down the questions and thoughts you have while going through this course. Also, remember that you can stop, rewind, or watch videos as many times as you like.
The next video starts with a more in-depth look at folklore.
References
McNeill, L. S. (2013). Folklore rules: A fun, quick, and useful introduction to the field of academic folklore studies. Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press.
References- Images
All graphics are made by Denise McKeown Short Task
But before you move to the next video please take five minutes to complete the first task:
Write down a couple things you think of when you hear the word folklore.
All images come from one of three free-to-use stock image sites Canva https://www.canva.com/photos/
Pexels https://www.pexels.com/
Unsplash https://unsplash.com/
* I have included the slides that accompanies the scripts for the introduction video.
However, even in this compressed size it would be too unwieldly to add the slides for all the videos. Therefore, I have only included a few slides throughout the rest of the scripts in the hopes that it helps readers imagine how slides and scripts come together to construct the videos.