Paper long abstract:

For decades Europe has been experiencing profound transformations which fall under the rubric of contemporary globalization: new multicultural contexts that have forced the redefinition of national narratives; the substitution of hopes and the inclusion of new histories as the iron curtain was lifted across the Continent. Often overlooked, however, is that this large scale dynamism has deep repercussions on local realities often struggling not to become strange to themselves; such repercussions are particularly visible in the public sphere where conflicts are displayed and where new images of selfhood are constructed. In this context, we query whether Turner's 'social drama' is an applicable model for exploring a range of questions : are the dynamics that are upsetting local space recognizable as crises? And if so, how are they made visible? How can public narrative and performative moments help in overcoming them? How may reflecting upon the past help with imagining the future?