FREE ESSAY ON DISCIPLINE AS FOLKLORE

DISCIPLINE AS FOLKLORE

There is no need to argue whether discipline has a role in society. The types, severity,
and appropriateness are debatable, but it surely serves a purpose. This applies on a
global scale, with groups such as NATO and the UN, all the way down to individual
households. The family unit acts as a training camp for upcoming members of a community
by teaching children what is expected of them through example and discipline. Though the
methodology varies from household-to-household, culture-to-culture, place-to-place; we
all have had to answer to authority at some point or another. The methods and lessons
passed from generation to generation are preserved in the retelling of our own
experiences to one another. These stories can also serve as a badge of honor; proof that
we have survived the storm and are worthy members of society.
An inspection of the interview answers reveals variation between the types of punishment
that disciplinarians, mostly parents, chose to use. Though not well reflected in the
transcript, those who were disciplined harshly, with one exception, express that they
afford their parents less propriety and do not see themselves emulating the approach of
their elders. [Appendix B] It is interesting to note, however; that the offenses
themselves tend to be similar. Five of the eight recorded responses list lying as a
punishable offense. Disrespect or getting in taboo situations seems to be a common thread
as well. The majority of respondents' share views about the intentions behind their
parents' actions, more specifically, they recognize that discipline is a means for
parents to ...teach me what they considered the right way to act - based on their moral
and religious beliefs. [Appendix A: What do you think were the motives behind their
actions? #2]
While collecting the data, I was surprised to see how eager people were to share such
private aspects of their lives. I handed out interview questions to some friends in the
library (campfire) who quickly began reminiscing about childhood experiences. The
conversation attracted the attention of nearby studiers and passers by who stopped to
listen or throw in a personal anecdote or two. I found myself playfully competing with my
interviewees over who had the most, the funniest, or the wildest stories. 
By telling their story, people reveal themselves. Their personality is highlighted by the
kind of story they tell and the way they tell it. Explanations for an individual's
behavior may become evident in a functionalist sense: 'Why I am the way I am' is explored
through an expression of feelings and bottled up emotions through references of the past.
This directly relates to Phenuminology and Znamiecki's discussion of knowledge of self.
Some responses reflect a change in consciousness such as: I was caught. I realize that my
dad was pretty slick and if I was going to do going to do something I wasn't supposed to,
I had to be more careful and look at all the possibilities of getting caught. [Appendix
A: What made this instance stand out? #6] Another important aspect of the telling of the
story is in reinforcing the immediate community. By jokingly sharing our humility, we
have the opportunity to strengthen our familiarity and bond with each other as Swarthmore
students.
The relationship between discipline and folklore may seem vague at first. The key to
bridging the gap lies in the way the correlation is set up. Instead of finding
similarities between the two, it is necessary to view discipline as a form of folklore.
Thus affording discipline all of the rules and stipulations of its assumed parent. The
story that the interviewees tell is a clear example of a personal narrative. The
characteristics of folklore regarding the hero pattern, as it concerns a persecuted youth
who survives the wrath of the evil witch [Appendix A: What did you think of them at the
time? #3], are satisfied in most accounts. This is paramount to 'fairy tales' such as
Cinderella, which display the evil stepmother. The similarity between the two implies the
manifestation of real life situations in the mythical tales. Discipline mimics the kiss
that turns the frog into a prince. The authenticity of this kiss comes from lips that
kissed, or in plain English, these are not a product of technology or translation by a
foreign tongue. It is a direct reflection of a culture's values as taught to those who
will become the meat of the aforementioned culture. 
When asked about the motives of their disciplinarians, the interviewees generally agreed
that discipline, like folklore, is a method used to teach. This follows Piaget's studies
that suggest that there are basic steps in a child's development that are universal
regardless of the society they come from. The similarity across cultures would lend to a
monogenesis of humanity. Discipline, as folklore, instructs us how to be civilized and
well mannered. It is the essential part of developing into a respectable member of the
human race. 
Bibliography
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