Abstract
This presentation will discuss a chapter of my PhD thesis: An Ethnographic Exploration of Snowboarding, which is based on recent fieldwork conducted in the Australian snowfields during the 2017 snow season.
The subculture of freestyle snowboarding consists of individuals from a variety of different backgrounds and regions of the world. Due to this, freestyle snowboarding can be understood as part of a culture that exists globally but is practiced locally, and it is these local practices that sustain a transnational subculture. In this seminar, I will focus on how embodied performances of freestyle snowboarding are central to the creation of place for members of the subculture. I will also observe the role weather and landscapes play in this place creation process, and highlight the importance of geography to snowboarding subculture.
About the Presenter
Shaun Jennings
Shaun is a PhD candidate in Anthropology in the School of Social Science at the University of Queensland. With a background in Business Studies, he worked within the music industry for five years as a tour manager before deciding to return to his studies. His doctoral research looks at the practices that create and sustain a transnational subculture, focusing on the freestyle snowboarding subculture in Australia. His academic interests include subculture, place creation, and youth, material, and digital culture.
About Anthropology Working Papers
The Working Papers in Anthropology seminar series provides a forum for dissemination of anthropological research and ideas among UQ scholars and invited researchers. All students are invited to attend the series and postgraduate students, from honours upwards, are invited to present their research. The aim is to provide opportunities for students, staff and those from outside UQ, to present and discuss their work in an informal environment.