Call for Papers Folklore Society: Working Life: Belief, Custom, Ritual and Narrative

27th — 29th April 2018

• 14:00—14:00

• Museum of English Rural Life, University of Reading, 6 Redlands Road, Reading, RG1 5EX

Working Life: Belief, Custom, Ritual, Narrative

CALL FOR PAPERS

The Folklore Society's April conference 2018 will take place at the Museum of English Rural Life, University of Reading, 6 Redlands Road, Reading, RG1 5EX

Submissions are invited for papers that explore a range of themes, customs, narratives, traditions and beliefs relating to the working life. Proposals of 100-150 words, for presentations of 20 minutes, should be emailed by 7 January 2018 to: thefolkloresociety@gmail.com and copied to enquiries@folklore-society.com. Please include a brief biographical note, including contact details.

Contributions are invited from scholars across the fields of folklore studies, anthropology, cultural studies, ethnology and other related disciplines.

Both members and non-members of The Folklore Society are warmly encouraged to offer papers at this conference.

Themes for discussion might include, but are not limited to:

·       Calendar festivals and working life

·       Working life and the narrative tradition

·       Work songs and occupational identities in ballads and popular poetry

·       Special practices at work – rites of conclusion, taboo expressions

·       Apprenticeship and initiation rituals, trade processions and myths of origin

·       Traditional humour about trades and professions

·       Informal rules of work, office jokes and sanctioned perks

·       The use of custom, omens, mascots and other lore as a bargaining tool with employers

·       Themes from work in folk art, murals and vernacular architecture