ANTH 112 Introduction to Socio-cultural Anthropology Winter 2018

Feb. 13, 15: Economics, migration and identity in the San Lorenzo market over time
READ: Schiller, Chapter Two.

- Why pay attention to history?
- Schiller discusses the “nostalgic ideals” of older vendors and Florentines, which clash with their perception of “present-day realities” (p. 40)
    - why is it important to see if the images people claim were reality in the past were, in fact, representative of that reality?
        - how does this conversation “real” Florentines are having about the loss of identity shed light on current tensions around livelihood, immigration, etc.?
- What is the history of Florentines and trade?
    - from travelling away to becoming a centre of trade
- What is the history of the administrative structure of San Lorenzo and Florence?
    - from church, to a combination of church and powerful, to bureaucratic administrative mixed with identity and tourism
- How does an identity based on tourism vary from an identity for local meaning, and how might an event with meaning for contemporary local meaning vary from how that event took place in the past?
    - the example of calcio storico: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obneC8zQNIQ
        - the February commemoration of the Siege game, and the June tournament
            - a brief overview: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcio_Fiorentino
- How has the market changed over time?
    - what was its structure, the organization of sales, the reputation of the neighbourhood, at different moments?
- What do tourists want from a market such as San Lorenzo?
- What are the possibilities and contradictions of relying on “heritage” as a way to attract tourists and build the economy?

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