Paper short abstract:

The paper examines the influence of intermingling of diverse communities on cultural festivities. It does so by emphasizing on the aspect of alternative space for shared harmony. Ethnographic fieldwork determines the fusion of the lost and the gained in newly formed ethnoscapes.

Paper long abstract:

With the world getting increasingly interconnected, it paradoxically becomes more susceptible to exclusionary identity politics. Yet, in this globalized mosaic of cultures, festivals emerge as counterpoints to such divisive forces, offering spaces for collaboration and shared humanity. As individuals and communities navigate the global stage, their local festivals traverse borders, embedding themselves in ethnoscapes far removed from their origins. The dynamics between a sense of rootedness and the realities of mobility generates tensions, wherein identities associated with specific locations endure while simultaneously being reshaped by connections to distant places(Burnley and Murphy, 2004; Duffy and Waitt 2013).

This paper explores the evolving landscape of festivals, examining the introduction of alternatives and the subtle dilutions of meaning as practices adapt to smaller, more constricted communities. Methodologically, this study engages with ethnographic fieldwork and critical discourse analysis to investigate whether these adaptations constitute the emergence of entirely new cultural forms or represent a strategic repackaging of the old. Extending on Appadurai’s framework of cultural flows and ethnoscapes on how globalization homogenizes traditions, this study argues that festivals gain new layers of meaning through their interaction with diverse influences, often rebranded as “authentic” or “traditional” in their adapted forms interrogating whether these changes represent the survival of festivals under new guises or the emergence of entirely novel cultural practices(Appadurai, 1996). Festivals function as living artifacts, constantly negotiated and redefined in the global arena.

Paper short abstract:

Rolando Toro's "Science of Movement" integrates emotional, social, and existential dimensions, positioning movement as central to understanding identity. This paper explores Toro’s theory through Merleau-Ponty’s embodiment and Csordas’s cultural body, examining how movement reveals human culture.

Paper long abstract:

During the 1984 “II Congresso Latino Americano de Biodanza” (São Paulo, Brazil), Chilean psychologist and anthropologist Rolando Toro Araneda proposed a systemic model for categorizing human movement. This model, if not a Science of Movement, was described by Toro as “a vision and an expression of the whole, of the organism as a hologram in progressive and profound integration.” His approach redefined movement far beyond psychomotricity and a set of kinesis—for him, movement is a medium for human experience that integrates emotional, social, and existential dimensions.

This presentation examines Toro’s Science of Movement through the lens of Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s “Phenomenology of the Body” and Thomas Csordas’s “Embodiment as a Paradigm for Anthropology”. Merleau-Ponty’s notion that the body is the primary medium of experiencing and interpreting the world provides a foundational philosophical context, while Csordas’s assertion of embodiment as central to meaning-making situates the body as both subject and agent in anthropology. Toro’s vision complements and expands these frameworks by presenting movement as a site of individual, collective, and cosmic identity.

This paper, thus, explores how Toro’s model illuminates the intersections of embodiment, identity, and relationality in anthropological inquiry. Complementary to this critical exploration is the laboratory “Charting Anthropology’s Movements. Literally,” which will provide an embodied experience of Toro’s Science through an introductory Biodanza class, bridging theory and practice to “live” anthropology’s movements in action.

Keywords: Rolando Toro, embodiment, movement, identity, anthropology.

Paper short abstract:

This paper discusses the transits between anthropology and artistic practices as part of the project ‘#ECOS. Exiles, to counter silence: memories, objects and narratives of uncertain times’. How did this experience result in alternative, horizontal and critical spaces for collaboration and dialogue?

Paper long abstract:

This paper discusses the transits between anthropology and artistic practices as part of the European project ‘#ECOS. Exiles, to counter silence: memories, objects and narratives of uncertain times’ (2018 – 2022). The project was carried out by a transnational (Portugal, France, Denmark) and multidisciplinary team (academics, artists, exiles, students, teachers) who worked in a permanent network, allowing the themes and content produced (often translated into more than one language) to be appropriated by different groups of citizens in Europe.

The project explored the narratives of Portuguese exile in Europe to discuss the production of unequal citizenships, highlighting the different mechanisms of solidarity and integration in European societies. The aim was to contribute to the construction of a European and transnational history, using storytelling and material culture as fundamental tools for transmitting memory and establishing biographical narratives.

The aim of this paper is to discuss more specifically the collaboration between the anthropologists and the Casa da Esquina theatre company, which resulted in three staged readings of the play ‘Exílio(s) 61-74. O meu país é o que o mar não quer’ [Exile(s) 61-74 My country is what the sea doesn't want] and two theatre writing workshops (Contemporary Political Dramaturgies “Memory and Resistance” and “Revolutions”). How did anthropology and the politics of theatre writing come together? How did this experience, from the point of view of anthropology, resulted in alternative, horizontal and critical spaces for collaboration and dialogue? How did we think, act and draw attention to our shared humanity?

Paper short abstract:

On Russian-language Ficbook.net, communities appear surrounding fandoms just like on other sites. However, after Roskamnadzor's targeting of Ficbook, the creation and maintenance of community surrounding Putin-favourite literature poses new possibilities for community building and resilience online.

Paper long abstract:

Among the sources used to create fanfiction are “classic” novels, particularly the Russian literary canon. These authors and their works are consistently celebrated by Putin for their “Russian spirit” and ability to guide the readers-students towards particular values such as nationalism, humanism, and morality (Romanenko 2020, p. 28, Sarsenov 2010, p. 503). The use of these classic works as source material for fanfiction shows a creative impulse which I plan to bring into conversation with education, queer identity, societal biases, and the legacy of canon.

Considering the very visible exploration of non-traditional sexuality and gender on fanfiction sites, there is tension between the function of fanfiction as self-exploration and the values the Russian Federation insists are in classical literature. On 9 July 2024, Roskomnadzor, the Russian Federal Government’s supervision of media, blocked Ficbook in Russia due to its slash and femslash content – or content about homosexual relationships. In response, on 4 October 2024 Ficbook announced they would sue Roskomnadzor and told Russian users to download a VPN (Ficbook 2024). Roskomnadzor’s attack indicates the visibility of fanfiction depicting non-traditional sexuality to the Russian government and how online spaces are currently battling for creative and personal freedom. My attention to slash and femslash fanfiction on Ficbook.net will reveal how Russian citizens use the literary canon to oppose Putin’s values, instead seeking new or reopening obscured interpretations of these works within communities that are now in defiance of the government in accessing Ficbook.net.

Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the evolving cultural identity of youth in the Global South, emphasizing how social media shapes self-perception. In an era of increasing digital interactivity, Media platforms become central spaces for young people to express, negotiate, and transform their cultural identities.

Paper long abstract:

This study examines the changing cultural identity of young individuals in the Global South, focusing specifically on the influence of social media on self-image and social conduct. In a time marked by heightened digital engagement, these platforms have emerged as vital arenas for youth to articulate, navigate, and reshape their cultural identities. Thus, this study examines how youth use social media to navigate their sense of self while engaging with local and global cultural influences. It explores how these platforms facilitate the negotiation of cultural identity, provide a space for self-expression, and influence youth behavior in a rapidly changing digital landscape. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research combines digital content analysis of social media platforms with youth interviews to investigate how social media impacts their behaviors and identities. This focuses on how social media shapes personal and group identities, fosters the adoption of cultural trends, and plays a role in negotiating social norms. It reconsiders the broader implications of online engagement, examining how digital spaces can both empower youth and present challenges, such as pressures to conform to idealized cultural standards or engage in performative behaviors. By focusing on the complex interplay between social media and cultural identity, this study seeks to understand better how digital platforms impact youth behavior and identity formation in an increasingly interconnected world.