Dissertation on Re-enactment - a plea for aid!

[Caius Fabius]

Re-enactment as a family hobby can be fun for everyone.
Smalls can be Roman children, Teens can be 'slaves' or 'servants' or 'young nobles', and wives can be wives, mistresses, or even camp followers. Sometimes they represent something totally different from their real life relationship. Single women have more possibilities than would be historically normal as well.

[marsvigilia]

1) What gender are you? Male

2) What is your age group? 36-45

3) What period do you portray? Roman

4) What role do you play? Legionary

5) Why do you take part in living history activities? Hobby, Educate the public

Which is the most important reason? Hobby


6) Are potential ethical or moral issues something you would take into account when participating in an event? Not really

7) If yes, what issues would you consider? What is the most important?
Need for authenticity

8) Which would be of more importance to you in an event?
Education

9) At what point would you consider an event unethical or inappropriate?
Other. Unsafe activities, for example the "Pilum Catch"

10) Have you any other comments? No.

[sophus_tree]

1) What gender are you? Male

2) What is your age group?
36-45

3) What period do you portray?
Roman

4) What role do you play? Tribune/officer

5) Why do you take part in living history activities? Which is the most important reason?
Educate the public


6) Are potential ethical or moral issues something you would take into account when participating in an event?
Yes

7) If yes, what issues would you consider? What is the most important?
Other……While a need for authenticity is important, I believe accomodations can be made by being honest about what parts of something are not accurate. For example, exactly how many of us wear helmets made of iron?….

8 ) Which would be of more importance to you in an event?
Education Entertainment
I believe that's a false dichotomy, but I would love to unpack it with you in PMs. (I'm an educational psychologist but I most certainly don't know everything and love to play with ideas like this.)

10) Have you any other comments? I am fascinated by this wacky little sub-culture we have here. Our obsession with the past, with certain timeless elements of the human condition like war, with the crazy economies we create like the laudes on this board. The thing which draws me to Roman history in particular is that it feels so viscerally familiar--in many ways, Western folks are modern-day Romans, and at the same time there are shocking inter-cultural differences--like gladiators for real, crusifiction, etc..

I sent you a PM about collaborating.

-MSS

[P. Clodius Secundus]

1) What gender are you?
Male

2) What is your age group?
Under 25
25-35
36-45
46-55
56-65
Over 65

3) What period do you portray?
Prehistoric (including Iron Age)
Roman
Dark Ages (post Roman – Saxon/Viking etc)
Medieval (1066 to 1485)
Tudor/Elizabethan (1485-1603)
English Civil War
American War of Independence
Napoleonic Wars
Victorian
First World War
Second World War
Post WWII
Other (specify)
American Civil War Union & Confederate
Also working on kit for Polish Hussars

4) What role do you play?
ordinary soldier when I can, NCO when I must

5) Why do you take part in living history activities? Which is the most important reason?
Hobby
Research
‘Live’ the past
Educate the public
A job
Other
All of the above except "A job". The last time I made a living "living" history was Desert Storm. In Civ War we tend to differentiate between Living History/Educational and re-enactments. Around home there aren't many big battles so I tend to focus on publilc interaction. At bigger national events I get selfish and focus on the "period rush".

6) Are potential ethical or moral issues something you would take into account when participating in an event?
When playing an Imperial Roman, Confederate, or German in one of the most nauseatingly politically correct gun hating self righteous states in my country there are always concerns or necessary compromises. Many schools don't allow weapons on campus. In that case I change my character into a field musician and bring fifes, drums, bugles, etc. It allows me to talk about the battles and the soldiers lives but at a little distance from the more violent aspects. I some ways it helps, especially with pre-teen kids. When I tell them that kids their age served as musicians in the thick of the battle and were killed and wounded too I have their undivided attention.

7) If yes, what issues would you consider? What is the most important?
Seen as glorifying war/violence
Violence as entertainment
Sensitive time/locality
Need for authenticity I won't let my own kids play with guns unless they're good replicas. Other…………………………………………………………………….

8) Which would be of more importance to you in an event?
Education Entertainment

9) At what point would you consider an event unethical or inappropriate?
Always unethical
Period too recent
The group/unit portrayed
The location
Violence too graphic
Violence with no educational purpose
Inauthentic display
Timing (e.g. during real war)
Never inappropriate
Other

10) Have you any other comments?

Thank you so much!

David

[/b]

[Primvs Pavlvs]

1) What gender are you? Male

2) What is your age group?

25-35


3) What period do you portray?

Prehistoric (including Iron Age)
Roman
Dark Ages (post Roman – Saxon/Viking etc)
Medieval (1066 to 1485)
American War of Independence
First World War
Second World War

4) What role do you play? Common soldier, and Sailor

5) Why do you take part in living history activities? Which is the most important reason?

Hobby
Research
‘Live’ the past
I would say the most important part for myself is being with people with similar interests, and intelligence levels


6) Are potential ethical or moral issues something you would take into account when participating in an event? Yes furthering historians with political agendas

7) If yes, what issues would you consider? What is the most important?
Other See Above


8) Which would be of more importance to you in an event?
Entertainment if its entertainment for myself, its not my hobby to educate the masses on my time, nor my money. If they want to learn they can read a book


9) At what point would you consider an event unethical or inappropriate?

Other Too many factors for me to make a honest statement

10) Have you any other comments?

I have been in this hobby for nearly 15 years, and re-enacted nearly a dozen different eras/impressions. Too many in this hobby take it too serious. Our duty is to live our lives, and have fun doing it. Do not take it so serious that you spoil it for others

[Salvianus]

1) Male

2) 36-45


3) Roman
Dark Ages (post Roman – Saxon/Viking etc)

4) a) legionary of the late Roman field army in Britain
b) junior member of a Viking or Anglo-Scandinavian warband

5) Hobby
Research
‘Live’ the past
Educate the public
Socialising
getting a break from technological living
most important:
understand people the past better by recreating some of their experiences

6) Always

7) Seen as glorifying war/violence
Need for authenticity
false association with imperialist ideologies
association with symbols etc appropriated by modern ideologies that I detest
the risk that recreational re-enactors might be seen as rejecting modern life

most important: association with symbols etc appropriated by modern ideologies that I detest


8) Which would be of more importance to you in an event?
Education

9) These don't apply to my main group & the way we choose to re-enact, so I will answer re other re-enactment.
Period too recent
The group/unit portrayed
The location
Violence too graphic
Violence with no educational purpose
Inauthentic display
Other: misinterpretation or innapropriate association or dumming down (in publicity, media etc)

10) I believe that the cause of authenticity or quest for recreation should not overide modern manners or morals. E.g. we should not mistreat someone because we imagine our 'character' would do so , or discriminate by reason of gender, ethnicity, sexuality or creed.

[Salvianus]

Addendum:

More reasons for re-enacting, or should I say 'Living History':
to learn new skills
to engage in friendly competition
to gain unique access to historical sites

Other issues:
innapropriate use of or participation in religious rituals & misrepresentation of religious beliefs

Very happy to participate further, discuss ethical & religious issues etc in more detail. Happy to be named as 'Salvianus (Stephen Kenwright) of the Late Roman research group Comitatus'

[TITVS SABATINVS AQVILIVS]

1) What gender are you?

Male

2) What is your age group?

46-55


3) What period do you portray?

Roman IV century, Iulianus Caesar/Imperator

4) What role do you play?

Tribunus

5) Why do you take part in living history activities? Which is the most important reason?

Hobby
Research
‘Live’ the past
Educate the public

But above all, to pay homage and memory to all the real roman soldiers who fought and suffered for our civilization

6) Are potential ethical or moral issues something you would take into account when participating in an event?

Yes

7) If yes, what issues would you consider? What is the most important?


Need for authenticity, is functional to the educational issue, not only a private satisfaction.

Need for commemorating all the real roman soldiers. Gratefulness to the ancient Romans.

8) Which would be of more importance to you in an event?

Education

9) At what point would you consider an event unethical or inappropriate?


The location
Violence with no educational purpose
Inauthentic display

10) Have you any other comments?

As mentioned above, commemorating is important to me and I consider like a rite wearing a reconstructed roman gear. So, I'd never can take to see a roman military kit offended by an unappropriate behaviour or purpose. Just a dignity matter.

I attended and organized small and big events and everytime, at the end, many people (often never interested in the roman matter, and often just there by chance) came to me sincerely grateful because we opened positively their eyes upon things they never saw or thought about the Romans.

[Agraes]

1) What gender are you?
Male

2) What is your age group?
Under 25

3) What period do you portray?
Dark Ages (late Vth - early VIth centuries)

4) What role do you play?
Hiberno-brythonic warrior emigrated in Brittany and incorporated to what remains of a Late Roman unit.

5) Why do you take part in living history activities? Which is the most important reason?
Hobby
Research
‘Live’ the past

6) Are potential ethical or moral issues something you would take into account when participating in an event?
Yes, authenticity is very important for me(but also honesty as no one can be fully authentic).

7) If yes, what issues would you consider? What is the most important?
Seen as glorifying war/violence
Violence as entertainment
Sensitive time/locality
Need for authenticity

8) Which would be of more importance to you in an event?
Entertainment

9) At what point would you consider an event unethical or inappropriate?
The group/unit portrayed
The location
Inauthentic display

[Aurelia]

1) What gender are you?

Female

2) What is your age group?

36-45

3) What period do you portray?

Roman

4) What role do you play?

Civilian - baker, jeweler, seamstress, cosmetician

5) Why do you take part in living history activities? Which is the most important reason?

a. Educate the public
b. Research for myself
c. Hobby that's just darned fun (who doesn't like to play dress-up?)

6) Are potential ethical or moral issues something you would take into account when participating in an event?

Sometimes, yes.

7) If yes, what issues would you consider? What is the most important?

a. Need for authenticity - sometimes the need for authenticity conflicts with the needs of a modern audience at public events. For example, at some of our school presentations, we are asked NOT to present information about the Roman religion, which was a part of everything the Romans did.
b. Violence as entertainment - I think sometimes it's hard for a modern audience to understand the violence inherent in Roman culture. To gloss over that, though, would be to misrepresent the Romans. Presenting this violence accurately is a form of education.

8 ) Which would be of more importance to you in an event?

Education - at times, it is okay with me to make tiny sacrifices in authenticity for the sake of education (such as fiber content of a garment, for example. As long as it is cut and sewn correctly, the kids in the classroom don't care if it's 90% wool or 100%)

9) At what point would you consider an event unethical or inappropriate?

I would not consider an inauthentic display actually unethical, but definitely inappropriate. Since education is my main purpose, glaring inauthenticities do my group a disservice (with exceptions such as noted in #8 ).

10) Have you any other comments?

I'd love to see your results!

[Hibernicus]

Carus, I sent you a PM

[Carus Andiae]

Just realised that after all the help you gave me, I never let you know the result!

I passed with merit! So I can now call myself a Master... hock:

Once again, many, many thanks to all here who offered their knowledge and wisdom.

[jkaler48]

If you are continuing research in this area (perhaps for a Phd)
some additional information.

Here is a thread which may be helpful with several discussions about some
authenticity/research issues in reenactment.

The thread title is "Reenactment Legion Uniformity vs Variety"
http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=22821

There have been a few disputes about names of units and other issues
like competition for recruits but these have been rare and often more
about the difficult personalities of a very few individuals than real issues.

Also a paper on woman and minorities in reenactment may be of interest
to some.

[Restitvtvs]

Just realised that after all the help you gave me, I never let you know the result!

I passed with merit! So I can now call myself a Master... hock:

Once again, many, many thanks to all here who offered their knowledge and wisdom.

Congrats, Carus, and thank you! Very interesting and beneficial.

Thank you's also to everyone who gave data here.

If I had seen this thread sooner, I would have given my data.

If you are still collecting data, please tell me, and I will edit this post to provide my data.

Again, congratulations and thanks!

Best regards, +r

[Carus Andiae]

Thanks, both of you!

Jkaler48, a PhD? I wish! I fear my bank account would protest too much. Now, if all the RATers were to club together to fund it... :wink: Thanks for the link, anyway.

Restitvtvs - data collection is over, and I'm now fully engaged in working for the Royal Household, so little time for proper research. Thanks, anyway.