Training School – Clothing as a Spectacle of Identities: A Theoretical Toolbox
Date of the event: 7-8 April 2022
Venue: Online
Trainers: Zofia Kaczmarek and Elsa Yvanez
Deadline for application: 15 March 2022
General concept of the Training School
Clothing throughout the ages became not only a second skin – an extra layer to protect humankind from unfavourable weather, cold or hurt – it also became a means of non-verbal communication. As such, it is closely related to identity, portraying information about the wearer’s age, gender, social status, belief, or geographical origin. Clothing affects the way we behave and the roles we embrace in society. The choice of garments (voluntary or imposed) claims one’s place in the society and demonstrates the commitment to the traditions of the group. In that way, clothing is a very powerful type of artefact, maintaining a high level of human agency. In history and archaeology, it has often been used as an identity marker to identify different population groups, using iconography as the main source. However, this approach carries many inherent biases that modern research needs to question. Merging textile research and archaeological theory opens new perspectives and can bring clothing to its full documentary potential.
This Training School aims at providing a first “tool kit” to approach past dress practices in our study of past identities. This event will combine theoretical readings and lectures with the development of solid case-studies, giving examples of workflows from artefacts to interpretation. The trainees will be provided with a package of introductory bibliography and prepare their own case-study based on their material of choice and concepts they find relevant. Group discussions and feedback sessions will conclude the 2 days. After the Training School, we hope that each trainee will feel more confident in handling and applying theoretical concepts, and that everyone would have worked in producing their own case-study and be well on their way to a future talk or article.
How to apply?
Following the rules of COST Training Schools, interested trainees are kindly asked to apply before the 1st of March 2022, sending a short motivation letter (max. 500 words) and a CV to:
zfkaczmarek@gmail.com and elsa.yvanez@gmail.com.
We offer a maximum of 10 positions – the selection of the candidates will be processed by the Core Group. We especially encourage application of ECI and PhD students.
Preliminary programme
07/04/2022. Morning session
Introduction by trainers Zofia Kaczmarek and Elsa Yvanez
Presentations by trainers:
● Theme 1. Pushing the borders (ZK)
● Theme 2. Dressing rank and power (EY)
07/04/2022. Afternoon session
Trainees independent work:
Prepare a short presentation (c. 5 minutes) about a case-study of your choice. Please include a figure modelling the concepts and material and start elaborating a plan for a potential article or talk about this case-study. Consider answering questions such as: Which concepts do you find relevant to your case-study? Why? Who is the garment belonging to? What element of the garment can be considered diagnostic of a specific individual or group of people? What are the links between the garment (and its wearer) under study and the surrounding society? How could you visualise them? Please remember to also consider the limitations of your documentation.
08/04/2022. Morning session
Presentations by the trainees and feedback session.
Group discussion.
Date of the event: 7-8 April 2022
Venue: Online
Trainers: Zofia Kaczmarek and Elsa Yvanez
Deadline for application: 15 March 2022
General concept of the Training School
Clothing throughout the ages became not only a second skin – an extra layer to protect humankind from unfavourable weather, cold or hurt – it also became a means of non-verbal communication. As such, it is closely related to identity, portraying information about the wearer’s age, gender, social status, belief, or geographical origin. Clothing affects the way we behave and the roles we embrace in society. The choice of garments (voluntary or imposed) claims one’s place in the society and demonstrates the commitment to the traditions of the group. In that way, clothing is a very powerful type of artefact, maintaining a high level of human agency. In history and archaeology, it has often been used as an identity marker to identify different population groups, using iconography as the main source. However, this approach carries many inherent biases that modern research needs to question. Merging textile research and archaeological theory opens new perspectives and can bring clothing to its full documentary potential.
This Training School aims at providing a first “tool kit” to approach past dress practices in our study of past identities. This event will combine theoretical readings and lectures with the development of solid case-studies, giving examples of workflows from artefacts to interpretation. The trainees will be provided with a package of introductory bibliography and prepare their own case-study based on their material of choice and concepts they find relevant. Group discussions and feedback sessions will conclude the 2 days. After the Training School, we hope that each trainee will feel more confident in handling and applying theoretical concepts, and that everyone would have worked in producing their own case-study and be well on their way to a future talk or article.
How to apply?
Following the rules of COST Training Schools, interested trainees are kindly asked to apply before the 1st of March 2022, sending a short motivation letter (max. 500 words) and a CV to:
zfkaczmarek@gmail.com and elsa.yvanez@gmail.com.
We offer a maximum of 10 positions – the selection of the candidates will be processed by the Core Group. We especially encourage application of ECI and PhD students.
Preliminary programme
07/04/2022. Morning session
Introduction by trainers Zofia Kaczmarek and Elsa Yvanez
Presentations by trainers:
● Theme 1. Pushing the borders (ZK)
● Theme 2. Dressing rank and power (EY)
07/04/2022. Afternoon session
Trainees independent work:
Prepare a short presentation (c. 5 minutes) about a case-study of your choice. Please include a figure modelling the concepts and material and start elaborating a plan for a potential article or talk about this case-study. Consider answering questions such as: Which concepts do you find relevant to your case-study? Why? Who is the garment belonging to? What element of the garment can be considered diagnostic of a specific individual or group of people? What are the links between the garment (and its wearer) under study and the surrounding society? How could you visualise them? Please remember to also consider the limitations of your documentation.
08/04/2022. Morning session
Presentations by the trainees and feedback session.
Group discussion.