Paper short abstract:

Burning Man is an annual gathering of 70,000 participants in the desert of Nevada. The lives of ‘burners’ and the ‘DPW’ are marked with ‘rituals’ that affirm not only a division between the two but also their mutual dependence towards the perpetuation of what is called ‘Home’.

Paper long abstract:

The DPW (Department of Public Works) which varies within the season from 150 to 500 members live within Black Rock City (BRC) perimeter one month prior to 'Burning Man' while building the city infrastructure. They stay on site one month after the event for strike and cleanup. The regular participants 'burners' live for a week in specific 'Theme Camps' within assigned location in the city.

The division of DPW from the 'burners' is well marked by a set of distinct social norms such as the following stereotypes: black clothing versus fur and glitter, tough behavior versus loving and cuddling, and subculture affiliation which is punk rock versus "New-agey", neo-hippy.

Diverse forms of dwellings and territory appropriation occur within the DPW and the 'burners' in terms of what marks the own -- "one of us" and "our space" -- from the alien. Marks of identity are actively rehearsed through DPW's only ritual such as the 'early Burn' or '4:20 Spire', and publicly performed at the 'DPW parade', cortege of pride which occurs during the event's week.

Even though the DPW and 'burners' do not identify with each other, they rely on each other for the perpetuation of Burning Man which is invested as a 'sacred place' they call or relate to as a Home. They both have the representation of Black Rock City or Burning Man as 'another world' with an autonomous structure, which stands versus the 'Default World'. The paper will use the lens of the rituals that mark their lives to analyze "what home means" to them.