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Programme: accepted abstracts

Abstract ID: 1372

Part of General Poster Session (Other abstracts in this session)

Style, Spatial Semantics and Light: Ethnography of Communication in Dark Rooms of Saint Petersburg's Gay Venues

Authors: Manzhurin, Evgeny; Balagurov, Nikita
Submitted by: Manzhurin, Evgeny (European University at Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation)

Our presentation is developed on the material from an ongoing field study conducted in the dark rooms of Saint Petersburg's gay venues by a team of two researchers from Department of Anthropology and Department of Art History, European University at Saint Petersburg. Apart from interviews collected from dark room visitors and gay venue staff, we analyze audio diaries of several volunteers who are themselves regular visitors.

For the purpose of the proposed presentation a dark room is defined as an unlit or scarcely lit space at a gay venue which is structurally isolated from the lit areas and is used – primarily, but not solely – for (semi-) anonymous sexual interaction (which in this presentation we call cruising). Although sexual intercourse as such is excluded from the scope of our study, our findings could be easily translated into epidemiological terms and thus be applied in such domains as public health and infectious disease control.

Our study concentrates on conventions and structures of communication, both verbal and non-verbal. We start with an overview of linguistic and spatial practices common to the field and provide a general description of lighting conditions. We also suggest an analysis of dark room layouts in terms of location of lit and dark areas as well as closed and open spaces to show the underlying semantic organization of the cruising space.

The main bulk of our research employs two frameworks widely applied in sociolinguistic studies: description and analysis of communication (speech) genres (as insightfully suggested in Bakhtin, 1986 and developed, among others, by Hymes, 1974) and communication styles/registers (Halliday and Hasan, 1976; Halliday 1978; Trudgill 1992). We outline three communicative situations and suggest a paradigm supporting the discrimination of corresponding genres. We explore the importance of light with regard to anonymity, tactual liberty and outline three light-dependant communication styles whose conventions are also supported by spatial and linguistic means.

References

Bakhtin, M. M. (1986) Speech Genres and Other Late Essays. Trans. by Vern W. McGee. Austin, Tx: University of Texas Press. 177 p.

Halliday, M.A.K., Hasan R. Cohesion in English. London: Longman, 1976. 374 p.

Halliday, M.A.K. Language as Social Semiotic: the social interpretation of language and meaning. London: Edward Arnold, 1978. 256 p.

Hymes, Dell H. Foundations in sociolinguistics. An ethnographic approach. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1974. 245 p.

Trudgill, P. Sociolinguistics: an introduction to language and society. London; New York: Penguin, 2000. 222 p.