Popular participation in public events and ceremonies in Cardiff in the twenty-first century

Roberts, William John 2018. Popular participation in public events and ceremonies in Cardiff in the twenty-first century. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

The study investigates present-day public events and ceremonies in Cardiff, and how they reflect, illustrate or employ traditional forms of communal activity. It employs the theoretical and empirical approaches of folkloristics, which deals with the identification, documentation and analysis of traditional material and expressive forms. Unusually, the study considers activities of popular origin and habitual practices of institutional origin on the same basis. It is framed largely by practice theory both generally and as applied within folkloristics, but with appropriate recognition given to the significance of performance theory. The topic is addressed through the observation of a range of activities and their associated forms of public engagement. The study was limited to activities taking place outdoors in daylight within the city centre and Cardiff Bay, with most fieldwork between 2010 and 2013. Three themes are addressed: socialising, protesting and remembering. A few activities are largely unorganised, but the majority are organised by public authorities and/or commercial bodies or by members of the public acting together. Many events have been launched in the past decade, and have become established within a recognisable cultural calendar, albeit the concept of a present-day ‘ritual year’ cannot be justified. As the capital city of Wales, certain institutional activities associated with the state, i.e. United Kingdom, are enacted. In contrast, there are few formal celebrations of Cardiff or Wales as such. Informal expressions tend to illustrate the cultural norms of the mainly English-speaking south-east, but the increasing presence of Welsh-speakers is becoming more noticeable, although there are few regular events centred on the language.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Submission
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Welsh
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GR Folklore
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	29 May 2018
Last Modified:	30 Mar 2021 10:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/111807

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