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| URBAN
LEGENDS: FACT OR FICTION? |
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| By Will Hengemuhle |
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Urban legends- do they make you cringe
or second-guess
some of the things you do or believe? If you are someone who
enjoys a
good tale which gives you the chills, then the "Growing up, I was a military brat who constantly moved all over the place, and I would always hear the same stories everywhere I lived," Sanders said. Sanders came to realize that most of these stories she heard were what are known as urban legends. Also, Sanders realized that different cities and towns have their own unique interpretation of the same story. Sanders was intrigued how people living in different places would interpret the stories in a way which would best reflect their own way of life. Sanders is a gerontologist by training. She
received her master's degree in gerontology from Webster's Dictionary defines urban legends
(or myths) as
"a modern story of obscure origin and with little or no supporting
evidence that spreads spontaneously in varying forms and often has
elements of
humor, moralizing, or horror. " Webster's gives an example:
"Are there alligators living in the When Sanders conducted more thorough research of urban legends, she began to understand the different reasons why many legends originated and how they affect society. The majority of stories have underlying meanings which help to teach people lessons. "Urban legends often portray messages for living," she said. According to Sanders, many urban legends are tales which can be used to teach people life lessons such as to tell the truth, to fear certain situations, and not to steal. In order to expose her students to the study of urban legends, she requires her Introduction to Sociology students to read "Too Good to be True: The Colossal Book of Urban Legends" by urban legends expert Jan Harold Brunvand. To earn their grade, the Intro students come to her office in groups of five to participate in a reading discussion group. "This helps them apply what they read to further their understanding of sociological concepts and society," she says. Years after they have completed her class, it is not unusual for Sanders to receive a forwarded email containing an urban legend from a former student. Sanders also recommends a website, http://www.snopes.com, which is a reference website for many different types of urban legends. The website helps navigate through the many different topics of urban legends. This website lists almost every urban legend which has been passed down. Sanders was excited to share her favorite urban legend which teaches the lesson of always telling the truth. It goes like this: Two families, who were next-door neighbors; owned pets. One family had a dog, the other a rabbit. One day, the family dog came home with a dead rabbit in his mouth. The rabbit's body was very dirty and had blood all over its white coat. The dog-owning family was so embarrassed and did not know what to do. Finally, they decided to clean the rabbit's body by washing it in Woolite. They placed the rabbit's body in its cage without the neighbors knowing. The next day, the family with the rabbit was amazed and horrified. They explained that the rabbit had died five days earlier, and they buried it in their backyard! For now, Sanders says her interest in urban
legends is more
of a teaching tool than an academic research pursuit. However,
she has
not ruled out the idea of publishing one day. She
acknowledges that
here in one of ### |
 Brenda
Sanders
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Brenda Sanders