Summary

Letter handwritten by Dr Dorothy Howard addressed to Dr June Factor in December 1982. Dr Howard writes in response to a letter previously received from Dr Factor requesting information about her Australian fieldwork and subsequent American projects. Her letter serves as a prelude to Dr Factor's visit to Roswell with Naomi, providing information on her early career and view of the playground as an educational institution. Dr Howard highlights the influence of Jean Piaget and Claude Lévi-Strauss on the progression of her interests, theories and methodology. She discusses her research into the relationship between teachers and their pupils, questioning the value of passive educational models in which children simply receive knowledge. Dr Howard argues that her research of the folklore of the classroom may assist in redefining this relationship and encourage new ways of teaching.

At Dr Factor's request, Dr Howard includes an accompanying, typed document titled 'Projects in Progress', which outlines her major projects following her visit to Australia. These include: 'Maryland Mennonite Children Play', 'Kissing Kin', 'Broken Bow', and 'Odyssey of a Country Teacher'. She elaborates on her study of the Mexican child Pedro Munoz in her letter. For this project Dr Howard repeatedly visited Munoz during the 1960s and 1970s to observe his play, a methodology which differed considerably from the general or in her terms "tourist" survey of Australian children's play traditions. Dr Howard concludes her letter with questions about Dr Factor's research and a brief outline of her various roles and contributions to a state college in Maryland and the University of Nebraska.

One of a collection of letters written to and from children's Folklorist Dr Dorothy Howard between 1954 and 1995. Dr Howard came to Australia in 1954-55 as an American Fulbright scholar to study Australian children's folklore. She travelled across Australia for 10 months collecting children's playground rhymes, games, play artefacts, etc. The original fieldwork she collected during this period is held in the Australian Children's Folklore Collection (ACFC) at Museum Victoria and includes index cards, letters and photographs.

Physical Description

Handwritten letter in black ink on lined paper. Includes five pages written on one side only and an accompanying typed page titled 'Projects in Progress'.

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