Role and symbolism of totems in a music festival environment
Résumé
The focal point of this ethnographic inquiry revolves around comprehending the role and symbolism of totems (also referred to as "doof sticks") within a electronic music festival milieu. While totems have long served as emblematic subjects for anthropological investigation, their exploration remains largely untrodden within the realm of music festivals. Primarily designed to facilitate the recognition of one’s group from afar, especially of night, their inception appears rooted in the distinctive doof bush culture of Australia. Through a meticulous analysis of three German festivals, the objective is to unravel the intricate dynamics and social interplays that underlie the utilization of totems, while also shedding light on the factors of disapproval at play within the audience. Additionally, this contribution aspires to capture the symbolic dimensions associated with these totems and outline a taxonomy of totems contingent upon their degrees of social interaction.