[ecrea] International Scientific Conference on Cultural Group Behaviour: Historical Re-Enactment, Contemporary Paganism and Fantasy-Based Movements

*Vytautas Magnus University *

*Faculty of Humanities *

*Center for Cultural Studies*

*/International Scientific Conference on Cultural Group Behaviour:
Historical Re-Enactment, Contemporary Paganism and Fantasy-Based Movements/*

*20 – 21 May, 2016. Kaunas, Lithuania*

Call for Papers

Modern times are marked by rapid advances in technology, urbanization
and globalization. The second half of the 20th century witnessed
fragmentation of culture, ethnicity and religion as a reaction to
disappointment in the progress of civilization. This promoted interest
in natural, ethnic and indigenous aspects of localities. Orientation
toward localities, as revealed in various worldviews and socio-cultural
movements, has been related to the revival of traditional and
nationalist ideas, orientation to nature-based spiritualities,
(re)construction of local ethnicities and the need to return to ethnic
and pre-Christian identities. A related trend manifests itself as return
to old customs, indigenous values and attempts to reconstruct
traditional pre-Christian religions. The existence of historical
re-enactment groups and contemporary pagan movements, grounded in native
faith, as well as fantasy-based movements raises the following
questions: what drives them to look back to their roots? How and why do
these groups emerge, exist and disappear? What is their social and
cultural impact on society and members of historical re-enactment groups?

The conference welcomes both empirical and theoretical contributions
from various disciplines, as well as interdisciplinary studies of
historical re-enactment, contemporary pagan movements and fantasy-based
movements. Early career researchers and students are also encouraged to
participate.

We invite papers and panels including but not limited to the following
topics:
*Theoretical and methodological approaches to re-enactment*
• Theoretical approaches to re-enactment and/or contemporary paganism;
• Fieldwork within re-enactment groups;
• Methodological implications and challenges.
*Diversity of re-enactment movements*
• Diversity of historical re-enactments and contemporary pagan movements;
• Past and present of the living history movement;
• Fantasy and live action role-playing (LARP) groups as a form of
re-enactment;
• Historical cosplay in Western and other cultures;
• Aspects of the local and the global in re-enactment;
• Periodization and typology of re-enactment;
*Worldviews and activities of re-enactors
*• Identity of historical re-enactors and/or contemporary pagans;
• Authenticity and (re)construction in historical re-enactment and/or
contemporary pagan movements;
• Traditionalism, nationalism and politics in re-enactment;
• Gender in historical re-enactment and/or contemporary pagan movements;
• Spirituality, religion and re-enactment;
• Culturally relevant or historically significant places within the
context of historical re-enactments;
• Cultural heritage in historical re-enactment and/or contemporary pagan
movements;
• Festivals, rituals and performance in historical re-enactment;
*Re-enactment and society
*• Influence of consumerism, globalization and the mass media for
historical re-enactors and/or contemporary pagans;
• Historical re-enactment and/or the influence of contemporary pagan
movements on the on mainstream society;
• Historical re-enactment in popular culture.

We expect individual paper proposals and panel submissions, including
3-4 presenters.

After the conference, participants are invited to observe historical
re-enactment of Lithuanian history in the Hanse Day festival 2016, held
on May 21–22.

Participants should complete the form at
https://tgt.wufoo.com/forms/conference-entry-form/. Abstracts will be
published on the Conference website. Each paper is allotted a time of 15
minutes, followed by up to 10 minutes for questions and discussion.

Participation fee: 40€ (for students 20€)
Travel and accommodation to attend the Conference will be at the
attendee’s expense.
Abstract submission deadline: March 21, 2016.
Notification of acceptance: April 4, 2016.

Working languages: English, Lithuanian
Conference website: http://reenactment.vdu.lt/

Organizing Committee: Agnė Kalėdienė (Vytautas Magnus University,
Lithuania), Rasa Pranskevičiūtė (Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania),
Gintarė Dusevičiūtė (Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania), Aušra
Kairaitytė-Užupė (Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania), Gintaras
Jaronis (Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania).

The Scientific Committee will be announced later.
Conference participants are welcome to prepare papers to the Group and
the Environments journal
http://ejournals.vdu.lt/index.php/grupes/about/submissions#authorGuidelines

Organizers: Center for Cultural Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Vytautas
Magnus University.
K. Donelaičio str. 52–410, LT–44248, Kaunas, Lithuania. http://ktc.vdu.lt/
*Contact person: Agnė Kalėdienė*
*E-mail: (reenactment.conference /at/ gmail.com)*

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