Abstract: Researchers have developed a brand new framework to know why individuals are fascinated by occasions centered round themes of demise, catastrophe, and struggling. These “darkish occasions” embrace all the things from historic commemorations to cultural festivals and horror experiences.
The research highlights six key ideas that form our attraction to those occasions, reminiscent of commercialization, public engagement, and the symbolic presence of demise. Understanding these elements might provide deeper insights into societal conduct and collective reminiscence.
Key information:
- Darkish occasions span a variety of actions, from cultural festivals to horror experiences.
- The research introduces six ideas to investigate the enchantment of those occasions, together with commercialization and the symbolic presence of demise.
- These occasions provide a managed method for individuals to discover themes of demise and tragedy.
Supply: College of Surrey
Understanding why the recognition of organised occasions steeped in themes of demise, catastrophe and struggling, such because the well-known Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Useless), Jack the Ripper Strolling Excursions and Remembrance Sunday, might be key to a deeper understanding of society, say researchers from the College of Surrey.
In a research revealed by Annals of Tourism Analysis, researchers introduce a complete framework to analyse these occasions, drawing from fields as various as thanatology (the scientific research of demise and the practices related to it), darkish tourism, and collective reminiscence research.
Darkish occasions embrace a broad spectrum, from historic commemorations and sports activities competitions to cultural festivals and horror experiences.
Dr James Kennell, co-author of the research and Affiliate Professor of Occasions and Hospitality on the College of Surrey, mentioned:
Persons are fascinated with darkish occasions for a number of causes, embedded in psychological, cultural, and sociological points of human behaviour. There’s a pure human curiosity in regards to the darker points of life, together with demise, tragedy, and the macabre. Darkish occasions usually present a secure and managed surroundings for individuals to discover these themes. Dr James Kennell, Affiliate Professor in Occasions & Hospitality
The framework developed on this research advances understanding of the evolving panorama of darkish occasions by figuring out six key ideas essential for researching darkish occasions:
- Commercialisation – how darkish occasions are marketed, consumed, and monetised.
- Views from disciplines reminiscent of thanatology, darkish tourism, and collective reminiscence research.
- Public sphere engagement – how darkish occasions work together with the general public sphere and the way they slot in broader societal discourse – together with media protection, politics, public reactions, and the impression on social norms and values.
- Deviant behaviour – examines participant motivations, reminiscent of thrill-seeking or taboo exploration of violence, criminality or normal hurt.
- Experiential points – analysing how darkish occasions evoke feelings reminiscent of worry, fascination, or reflection inside the members or viewers.
- The presence of demise – centres on the symbolic and literal presence of demise inside darkish occasions, together with: non-human demise, demise symbolism and precise demise.
Metod Šuligoj, co-author and Affiliate Professor of Tourism Research on the College of Primorska, mentioned:
“The fascination with darkish occasions stems from a fancy interaction of curiosity, thrill-seeking behaviour, cultural traditions, psychological exploration, and the will for communal and shared experiences. These occasions permit people to have interaction with themes of demise, catastrophe, and struggling in methods which might be significant, academic, and typically transformative.”
About this psychology analysis information
Creator: Georgina Gould
Supply: College of Surrey
Contact: Georgina Gould – College of Surrey
Picture: The picture is credited to Neuroscience Information
Unique Analysis: Open entry.
“Conceptualising darkish occasions: A brand new framework” by James Kennell et al. Annals of Tourism Analysis
Summary
Conceptualising darkish occasions: A brand new framework
Darkish occasions are organised occasions linked to demise, catastrophe and struggling, and this conceptual research supplies a brand new framework that can be utilized of their evaluation.
The framework has been developed by means of a theoretical synthesis of ideas from the area concept of thanatology, and the strategy theories of darkish tourism, darkish leisure and collective reminiscence.
Six ideas of worth for analysis into darkish occasions are recognized: commercialisation; approaches; public sphere; deviant behaviour; experiences; presence of demise.
The conceptual framework establishes a coherent conceptual footing for darkish occasion analysis, and highlights hyperlinks to established theories and strategies that may be of worth to future researchers on this novel space.
Lastly, we current an agenda for future analysis into darkish occasions.
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