Customer Reviews

Did You Hear About The Girl Who . . . ?: Contemporary Legends, Folklore, and Human Sexuality

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a collaboration between two sisters, one of whom is a biologist and health educator, and the other of whom is a folklorist. Together they examine a vast number of urban legends and beliefs about sexuality, particularly in reference to teens and college students, and discuss how these stories can be used in an educational setting, both to glean information about things that need to be taught and to impart accurate information. As they point out, educators and health professionals sometimes make assumptions that are not shared by the young or uneducated people they deal with, and talking about popular beliefs and the stories that young people share among themselves can help clear up misunderstandings that otherwise might never have even been addressed. Discussion of stereotypes promoted by certain urban legends can also enable students to become better informed about stigmatized groups and behavior.

Although I am not an educator, I am very interested in urban legends and other modern folklore, and not only did I find this book to be fascinating, but I can imagine how it could be used to great effect in educating our sadly ill-informed young adult population about an often awkward topic.