Re-enactment survey

[gigus]

"If you have to evaluate your working atmosphere", is 1 good or bad? I assumed 1 was very good and 6 very bad.

Yes, you were right. 1 is very good! In my handouts the matter is marked with + and -. I try to add this in the online form too.

"The country you are living in, is it a democratical one and the public opinion is respected?" I'd say never ask two question where only one answer is allowed. That's confusing because one can agree with one and disagree with the other question.

Again you are right. Never put two questions in one. But democracy is associated with the respect of the publics' opinion.

"We are living in the era of Globalisation. " What does this have to do with re-enactment? Maybe you should have specified more here - globalisation and re-enactmnet would have been better.

Globalisation is one of the main topics of our times. In addition re-enactment is a global thing. Just look at this forum for example. But i won't tell too much now :wink:

What did you mean by 'clarity' in the questions about the past being better or worse?

If you can clearly overview social, cultural, technical, political or worlwide settings or circumstances.

"Approximately, how much money do you spend in Re-enactment per year? "I think this is an inappropriate question. Phone-terrorists who ask me such questions always get the same answer from me - none of your business.

Yes I know, I react the same. That's why I marked this question not as a necessary one. You can fill in, but it's not a must. It's your choice!

"Where would you locate yourself in the hierarchy?" does not allow for other situations, where giving and taking orders are posssible, or when more democratic situations apply.

It's a general question and only refers to your re-enactment group and the role you inhabit. Just ask yourself, if you are giving more orders to your comrades or receive more orders from them. For example, I'm the ferrarius in my group and recieve a lot of orders (make me a new fibula please :wink: )

"What do you think about the statement that Re-enactment imparts history?" I interpreted this question as re-enactment supporting education of the past.

Yes, that's exactly what i mean.

"Are there any photographs of you in your re-enactment role? Would you send one or two pictures to my email-" Another double question. yes they exist, Yes I could send you some, but my website is loaded with them too. www.fectio.org.uk/

It's a double question, but I think it's evident that everybody has got some pictures of himself in roman-action. That's our hobby! The first part of the question is rather suggestive.


Puh, I wanted you giving me some answers to my questions, not the other way around :lol: Just joking! Thanks for your remarks and participating seriously in my survey!!!

I'm thinking of returning the favour you are doing to me, but I don't know how. Some ideas?

[Marcus Mummius]

I think I filled in incorectly all those questions you mention Robert :lol:

To me a high number means good :lol:

Oh well

[Tarbicus]

I'm thinking of returning the favour you are doing to me, but I don't know how. Some ideas?

Cash. That always works for me :wink:

[Robert Vermaat]

"The country you are living in, is it a democratical one and the public opinion is respected?" I'd say never ask two question where only one answer is allowed. That's confusing because one can agree with one and disagree with the other question.

Again you are right. Never put two questions in one. But democracy is associated with the respect of the publics' opinion.

Generally speaking you are right about democracy, or should I say theoretically? Unfortunately I know a great many countries where democracy has nothing whatsoever to do with public opinion. But that's modern politics and I'll shut up now. :roll:

"Where would you locate yourself in the hierarchy?" does not allow for other situations, where giving and taking orders are posssible, or when more democratic situations apply.

It's a general question and only refers to your re-enactment group and the role you inhabit. Just ask yourself, if you are giving more orders to your comrades or receive more orders from them.

Well, we are a very small group and things mostly don't work like that...

I'm thinking of returning the favour you are doing to me, but I don't know how. Some ideas?

What Jim said - cash would be fine. :twisted:
But I'll settle for the results of the survey, some day.

[Aetius Helvius Merula]

Did your study, Christian. I answered as faithfully as being part of a group of 3 men who have met in the flesh just a month ago enabled me

[Cornelius Quintus]

Ave Christian,

sorry, I don’t want to suggest a ‘negative’ view behind your survey. Self evidently you can’t tell details about your thesis, otherwise you will water down the result.

But such a questionnaire also gives a ‘feeling’ to the reader (which might not be identical to the intention of the questioner). So there’s the ratio of questions aiming straight at re-enactment or off-topic / general knowledge, where the individual questions are placed, which are missing - and last but not least the premises in the question lines.

At the start, 4 of 41 questions are about my job and how content I am with it.
Then 3 questions are following about political commitment and general views about democracy and globalisation (by the premise ‘winners and losers’, not ‘global communication or team work’).

Also there are 4 questions about a general ‘has everything has been better in former times?’

As others wrote before, it is not easy to mark an answer, because it is simplified and you can’t comment the ‘how’ and ‘why’.

BTW: above, you are asking about membership in a group by just allowing one answer. Some re-enactors are active in more than one period simultaneously. So when you are asking later: ‘Which „former times“did you think of, while answering the question above?’ there’s again only one possibility to answer, including the 1960ies. So with the previous question about the group/period, you indirectly are guiding the participant into thinking about a special period in that very moment…

Then, 9 questions concerning re-enactment itself are about the premise of performing a special role or function in a hierarchy. Perhaps not all re-enactors, especially beginners have such a clear ‘role’ or ‘identity’ in their group, and groups are also changing by members, activities, interests and the ‘growing’ of a personal kit or collection of equipment. There’s no room for flexibility in answering or re-enactment without the focus of hierarchy and who pus whom into a role… Perhaps not all groups are structured like army-units or completely cover military topics or hierarchically based civilian communities. One only can comment one’s role and function in the survey, not the special activities.

There are no questions about the group itself (how long it exists, how it and/or it’s historical counterpart is structured and culturally settled, how many members, public performances or just private meetings, ratio of ‘living in the past’ and ‘modern times meetings / contacts’ like reconstructing, discussing, crackerbarrel…) You won’t find out, how many members perform a role or fixed function in a group, except your survey is aimed exclusively to members of ‘ideal’ (?) re-enactment groups, with a very high standard of knowledge, experience, equipment, individual performance…

In summary, the design of the survey is often static and won’t allow to add comments, especially if there are two-in-one questions or simplifications, (which are not easily to judge by a yes or no statement), the personal activity or the structure of the group.
(‘Would you agree to the statement that Re-enactment serves science?’ or ‘What do you think about the statement that Re-enactment imparts history?’

Perhaps enable the participants to add more comments, and you might gain more valuable input.

Don’t wonder that I’m not participating in the survey – It’s only because I’m neither a member of a group nor performing a special role at the moment. Personally, I’m active in Roman and Viking periods, but also interested in other re-enactment periods, which also partially influences my overall point of view concerning global re-enactment and historical topics.

[Caballo]

"Yup; Legionaries as brothers, Batavi as sisters."

Typical legionary....waits till the Batavians are up on Hadrians Wall before daring to post.... .

We had a large event at Corbridge (three ballistae (one repeater), two cavalry, and about 20 (?) soldiers in the field- not forgetting the civvies- and also a small re-enactment at Brocolita (where the Batavi were )

[Tarbicus]

It’s only because I’m neither a member of a group nor performing a special role at the moment.

Me neither, but I just put not applicable where appropriate, and the rest I thought of as a one man legion.

Typical legionary....waits till the Batavians are up on Hadrians Wall before daring to post.... .

Yup. :wink:

[gigus]

Well, that's alright! The answer you wrote here helps me very much. And I'm willing to include it in my dissertation. Of course it's better to make a personal interview with each one of you, but I mustn't explain that this is an utopian thing. It's the negative side on such surveys, that you have to select the questions before. Even the hardest solver of crossword puzzles would surrender or loose his ambition in answering 100 questions. It's a compromise and you have to simplify. So my dissertation won't be absolute, but a kind of preliminary investigation, providing the basis for further studies. In fact my survey originally consisted of 65 questions but some of them have been cancelled by powers that be :wink:

[Peroni]

Yup; Legionaries as brothers, Batavi as sisters.

And you KNOW just how embarassing it can be to get beat-up by your sister Jim!?

[Tarbicus]

And you KNOW just how embarassing it can be to get beat-up by your sister Jim!?

You see, I don't. And there's the difference between the Batavians and proper soldiers.... :wink: :wink:

[Cornelius Quintus]

Yup; Legionaries as brothers, Batavi as sisters.

:wink:

Ave Jim,

so how do you call an elite-Auxiliary trooper, sitting on the lever of a catapult, ready for shooting?

– Bataviator… ;-) )

(Duck and cover....)

[Tarbicus]

ROFL :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Ancient-cannon fodder. No contradiction to the reality there :wink:

I wonder if we're reflecting the reality of the 'relationship' twixt auxilia and legionaries 2000 years ago? Does anyone have any info on the massive fight between auxilia and legionaries I once saw mentioned a while back. An escalation over a small disagreement, or something, which became a proper battle of cohort proportions, IIRC.

[Maximio]

I wonder if we're reflecting the reality of the 'relationship' twixt auxilia and legionaries 2000 years ago? Does anyone have any info on the massive fight between auxilia and legionaries I once saw mentioned a while back. An escalation over a small disagreement, or something, which became a proper battle of cohort proportions, IIRC.

Yeah, the XIIII got the SH** knocked out of them and had to run pleading to the Praetorians to save them.

Apparently two Batavii were having a disagreement with a potter over some dodgy merchandise. A group of passing Legionaries joined in on the tradesmans side and the ruck escalated. By the time a Praetorian cohort joined in (on the XIIII's side), there were several hundred dead and half the city had burnt down. I'm trying to remember which town it was (Turin I think).

Whilst on this though Tarbi, why not ask what the reason for the Rebellion was. Something about the Legionary recruiting tactics? :wink:

[Peroni]

I'm trying to remember which town it was (Turin I think).

Yep! Tacitus 'Histories' [2,66]

The legionary soldier was a lodger of the workman. It did turn to bloodshed, but a fierce battle was avoided by the arrival of the two cohorts of guards, who sided with the XIIIIth.

Probably caused by the XIIIIth not accepting that they were defeated at the first battle of Bedriacum by a unit of Batavians! :lol: Complaining that there had only been a detachment of them there (Righto!) :wink:

Vitellius gave orders that the Batavians should be attached to his army as a mark of their fidelity, whilst the XIIIIth were marched over the Graian Alps.

The fires that partly destroyed Turin were started by the XIIIIth as they started out on their march.