Social Sciences

Vernacular Religion, Folk Belief, and Traditions of the Supernatural

This academic folklore conference will explore past and present supernatural traditions worldwide.

Although often associated with rural locations, folk belief is a truly global phenomenon. Traditions of the supernatural are equally at home in crowded cities and on distant farmsteads, and supernatural experiences have been subjected to different theories and explanations depending on their cultural contexts. This conference will explore these explanations as well as investigate how traditions can be compared across cultures. The conference places special (though not exclusive) focus on urban traditions and on comparisons between supernatural narratives belonging to religion, folk belief, science, and entertainment.

The conference will take place in the tropical island city-state of Macau, a special administrative region of China and the most densely populated territory on Earth (nearly 600,000 people in just 30 square km). On 23-25 March, delegates will speak with local tradition bearers in Macau and visit sites of legendary and religious significance. The Historic Centre of Macau World Heritage Site - a living mix of Chinese and Portuguese colonial cultural influences â ?is home to numerous Catholic, Taoist, and Buddhist shrines, churches, and temples. Yet move away from central Macau's busy markets and winding alleys, and you will come to temples of capital and consumerism: for Macau â ?called the 'Las Vegas of the East' â ?is also the site of some of the world's largest and most glamorous casinos, where tourists engage in different traditions of the supernatural.

On 26-27 March, delegates will have the chance to give academic presentations in association with the conference The Supernatural in Literature and Film. On 28 March, delegates can participate in a post-conference tour of beautiful Lantau Island (Hong Kong), site of Tai O fishing village and the world's largest seated bronze Buddha.

Deadline for Abstracts: 30 August 2014
Web address: http://www.islanddynamics.org/folkloreconference-2015.html
Contact: [email protected]

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Social Sciences