Nancy Watterson
I'm working on my black belt in martial arts, having begun wushu about 4 years ago while in my late 40s. That study, itself part of ongoing multi-sited ethnographies (in Philly, China, Thailand, etc.) is part and parcel of the kind of work professionally trained folklorists such as myself like to undertake. My Ph.D. in fact was in Folklore and Folklife from the UPenn, and I currently teach courses for the American Studies major at my College. Interdisciplinary by nature and training, my research interests include civic engagement, arts and social change; engaged ethnography; American Studies; African American folklore; community-based collaborative research ; writing pedagogies across the disciplines; and the democratic potential of participatory arts, especially the Afro-Brazilian martial art of and Capoeira and the Asian martial arts including T’ai Chi and related healing arts and sciences across the globe.
While my technology skills are probably still at the beginner level, I enjoy learning and would reslish the opportunity to get some hands-on time this summer to learn alongside fellow conference participants.
