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- Convenors:
-
Matthias Maurer Rueda
(University of Basel)
Leri Price (Heriot-Watt University)
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- Chair:
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Alastair Mackie
(Friedrich Schiller University Jena)
- Format:
- Roundtable
Short Abstract:
This roundtable will explore dramas and controversies in hobby communities, analyse them with ethno-/anthropological theory and explain them in a way which is accessible and fun to a non-academic audience. The roundtable will be recorded and will be published as episodes of the podcast ‘Dramanauts’.
Long Abstract:
“Unwriting” is an invitation to address the orthodox practices of academic research, where an air of authority and intellectual certainty is often expected for work to be taken seriously, resulting in our research remaining largely inaccessible to those outside academia. Informal expressions of ethno-/anthropological experimentation—where wonder and bewilderment can fuel speculative discussions and open-ended analysis—are scarce, to the detriment of the discipline.
“Dramanauts”, a light-hearted podcasting project, emerged from the desire to recapture the sense of fun and curiosity that originally drew us to our disciplines. In each episode, an ethno-/anthropologist delves into a hobby community, analysing controversies or moments of drama within it. While perhaps appearing trivial to bystanders, we are convinced these moments can teach us about these communities and what is important to them, and maybe also about ourselves. Our goal is not to patronise, instead we are driven by genuine curiosity and a deep appreciation for the diverse forms social life can take.
This roundtable invites researchers to explore a controversy or drama within a hobby community of their choosing, not necessarily related to their main area of research, and to share an analysis of it which is accessible and fun to a non-academic audience. The roundtable will be recorded and published as episodes of the podcast “Dramanauts”. In doing so, we will contribute to “unwriting” our discipline by making it more accessible, while at the same time encouraging our peers to occasionally ‘let their guard down’ and step out of their professional roles.
Accepted contributions:
Session 1Contribution short abstract:
The contribution deals with the hobby community around the blob, in rural and urban areas, with their enthusiasm and fears.
Contribution long abstract:
Although much of our field research material is composed of informal conversations and encounters, in academia a formal, linear narrative is still central to the communication of ethnographic material. Experimental and informal narrative and mediation formats can not only do justice to our materials, echoing the narrative of our diverse fields, they also help us to communicate our findings to a wider audience outside the academic bubble. Through the “Dramanauts” podcast, I want to do so with joy and curiosity in the most unfiltered live setting possible. More specifically, I want to shed light on the hobby community around the blob. A single-celled organism with almost magical properties that leads to amazement and enthusiasm, but also plays with current fears of apocalyptic scenarios in the sense of “Will the blob take over the world?”. The blob from my observation post in the forest is already anchored in pop culture and, as the Sleaford Mods say in their chant, “The blob ain't bothered. Its slime don't care.” not to be upset at all. Let's take a look together at what could upset the quiet blob watchers and the blob itself - whether the fears, needs, hopes and expectations of the single-celled organism and its human observers might even mirror each other?
Contribution short abstract:
This contribution discusses karaoke as resistance, subversion, and emancipation, against the backdrop of the city of Aberdeen, Scotland’s karaoke capital. Karaoke fosters a radical form of self-expression similar to Bakhtin’s carnivalesque, where power structures are reversed in heterotopic spaces.
Contribution long abstract:
German artist Joseph Beuys famously said, “everyone is an artist”. Being an artist, according to Beuys, is the quintessence of being human; creating, and being creative, outside the confines of the now outdated notion of ‘high culture’. In this context, karaoke provides an opportunity for everyday people to become performers without repressive social constraints or pressures to conform to roles or identities. Similar to Bakhtin’s carnivalesque, where ritualistic pageantry, flipped stage, carnival laughter, and grotesque contribute to the reversal of power structures, karaoke fosters a radical and subversive form of self-expression.
That said, karaoke may seem like a solitary act, as the performer appears alone and vulnerable on stage, however it is in fact a community-building ritual where identities converge through the shared experiences of song, memories, laughter, mockery, and imperfection. All this takes place in heterotopic spaces such as karaoke booths, or dedicated stages in bars (where boundaries are imaginary). But are these heterotopias, or in fact part of a social assemblage? Despite its democratising effects of dismantling performance hierarchies and breaking down social barriers, karaoke’s class functions are clear, albeit different, across cultures. In Japan, karaoke affords business deals and fosters business relationships (Drew, 2005); in China, it provides a space of escape and resistance from state control (Dean, 1998); while in the US, it is more popular among working and lower‐middle classes (Drew, 2005). This podcast contribution will discuss karaoke as resistance, subversion, and emancipation, against the backdrop of the city of Aberdeen, arguably Scotland’s karaoke capital.
Contribution short abstract:
This paper addresses the phenomenon of board game stores through the ethnography of a newcomer seeking to fit into a town in Catalonia. His experience unveils a store’s dynamics and sense of belonging. Do these stores contribute to place identity despite their atmosphere of fandom subculture?
Contribution long abstract:
This paper explores the role of board game stores in fostering a sense of belonging and contributing to place identity, based on the ethnographic experience of a newcomer seeking to fit into a town in Catalonia. Drawing on Émile Durkheim’s (1912) theory of belonging, which highlights the importance of social cohesion through collective participation, the study examines how the store becomes a site of connection for individuals navigating unfamiliar social landscapes. However, the difficulty of integration without participating in local associations underscores the challenges newcomers face in building meaningful relationships and community ties.
Board game stores present a paradox: they are often perceived as peripheral spaces that exist between leisure, strategy gaming, and fandom subcultures. Despite this marginality, these stores can serve as informal community hubs where participants engage in shared rituals, develop social bonds, and create a localised sense of belonging. The ethnographic account reveals that such spaces challenge the perception of fandom subcultures as disconnected or insular. Instead, they act as intermediaries where individuals negotiate both their social identity and place within the town.
The findings suggest that while board game stores may appear tangential to mainstream community life, they play a vital role in creating micro-communities that contribute to broader place identity. This challenges traditional views of integration by emphasising the significance of unconventional social spaces. Ultimately, the study demonstrates that even peripheral phenomena like board game stores offer pathways to social cohesion and belonging for newcomers navigating unfamiliar territories.