Socio-anthropology of the imaginary of time. The case of alternative leisure activities – Aion

As Aiôn is a multidisciplinary project, the methods used are also multidisciplinary, borrowing from sociology (interviews, questionnaires), anthropology (ethnography, monographs), information and communication sciences, and literature. More precisely, some key examples form the basis of an exploratory approach: roller derby, living history, quidditch and punk-rock concerts. These are enriched and complemented by other research topics and themes on which the members of the Aiôn team are working. The analyses carried out will thus be based on the emic meaning that the actors give to their practices. These case studies will serve to question the two main anthropological categories of time and imaginary, as well as their articulation.

An effervescent time.

Starting with examples from the fieldwork, the aim is to show that the «alternative« experience leads to the symbolic production of a circular conception of time. Imaginary used in the studied activities appears as a «bricolage« allowing the expression of the leisure activity and its diffusion. One of the characteristics of this imaginary is the relationship to time that the respondents express discursively. Following the exploratory fieldwork, it will be possible to understand imaginary of time in alternative leisure according to three axes: a valuation of childhood time, a festive and ritualised present time (the moment of the playful experience), and a future perceived as uncertain. While our contemporary societies function according to a linear temporal model, the practitioners of these leisure activities mobilise an imaginary of time conceived of as «bubbles« in which past, present and future are intertwined.

The perspectives opened by this project will allow the development of an innovative field of research on alternative leisure activities. As veritable social phenomena, the recreational activities studied are examples from which to understand the development of new leisure activities or renewed activities. Far from simply describing and indexing them, it is a question of being able to characterise them. Moreover, taking an interest in the «alternative« dimension makes it possible to work on cultures of resistance and on the «margins«. The work carried out within Aiôn should lead to the opening of a field of research about unknown and «non-standard« practices, revealing responses to an established social order (that of mainstream leisure). Beyond that, the field of the imaginary in social sciences is not very well explored, and deserves to be studied in depth, through the example of alternative leisure activities. The work resulting from Aiôn should contribute to understanding, delimiting and illustrating the functioning of imaginary of time in a playful framework.

The scientific productions of the Aiôn project consist of colloquia, study days and seminars, but also academic publications in French and in English. Monographs will also be published. Finally, the PhD thesis conducted within the framework of Aiôn, on roller derby, constitutes a major achievement in approaches to alternative leisure activities. Beyond this academic production, specific attention is given to the public communication of the scientific findings. Thus, meetings to present the work to the general public punctuate the progress of the research, and other communication formats (notably storytelling) are being developed.

The Aiôn project aims to study alternative leisure activities. Often understood from a sports perspective, these leisure activities are nevertheless found in musical or heritage spheres. They differ from so-called mainstream leisure activities because they offer other forms of recreation in response to a dominant practice that is becoming unsatisfactory within the overall leisure offer. They are carried by communities (which can be seen as subcultures or countercultures), are based on strong ideological claims (linked to independence, participation, etc.) and are characterized by an imaginary of non-linear time. The objective of Aiôn's research is to question the imaginary of time that interviewees mobilize (through their discourses and practices); to delimit the notion of the imaginary in order to apply it to the analysis of reality; finally, to propose a definition of alternative leisure. Three case studies (living history, quidditch and punk-rock concerts in rural areas) help to develop an understanding of the alternative dimension along three axes: heritage, sport and music. A pilot study and an initial exploration of the fieldworks have laid a foundation for the work to start. From these three examples, we can understand how the "alternative" play experience leads to the symbolic production of a circular conception of time. While our contemporary societies have a linear temporal model, the practitioners of these leisure activities mobilize an imaginary of time as "bubbles". In these, past (as a “golden age”), present (a festive and ritual time) and future (between an ideal to be built and a dark future to come) are intertwined. The project is organized into three areas of work. First, the pursuit of the fieldwork will enhance the ethnographic work of the pilot study. At the same time, the creation of a multidisciplinary research team aims to break the scientific deadlock in the characterization of the notion of the imaginary. Finally, three actions to disseminate the findings will help to communicate the work to a wide audience: university meetings, the production of an ethnographic film and finally, a photographic exhibition (which will close the project).