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Selective Authenticity: C ivil W ar Reenactors and Credible Reenactments
Author(s) -
Hall Gregory
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of historical sociology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.186
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1467-6443
pISSN - 0952-1909
DOI - 10.1111/johs.12089
Subject(s) - narrative , meaning (existential) , set (abstract data type) , object (grammar) , focus (optics) , sociology , advertising , computer science , psychology , art , literature , business , artificial intelligence , physics , optics , programming language , psychotherapist
This article addresses authenticity and how it is selectively used by C ivil W ar reenactors to create credible reenactments. The C ivil W ar provides a structured set of scenarios for reenactors to use as a backdrop for their participation. Some use this backdrop to bring objects to the forefront and others use this setting as a way to interact with an audience person to person. This research indicates that authenticity may come through on different levels for individuals participating in the same activity. An authentic experience or object is authentic because it has an important immediate meaning. The objects and narratives displayed by reenactors may be set in specific history but this does not mean that these same objects and narratives are part of that history. This paper contributes to the study of authenticity by examining groups of C ivil W ar reenactors and where their focus of authenticity lies whether it is on authentic objects or interactions.