Through Veils of Words: Performing Politics, Gender and Identity in the Tuscan Contrasto (Verbal Duels and Word Play #1)
Description
This book presents the Tuscan Italian folk verbal duel called Contrasto, traditionally sung in public performance by the Poeti Bernescanti. The author, linguistic anthropologist Valentina Pagliai, reveals the connections between performance, politics and the creation of social identities. In Contrasto duels anything can be argued, reproduced or contested: political parties and elected representatives, senses of belonging, images of womanhood and positionalities in respect to (gendered) power hierarchies. The ideological side of identity becomes open to scrutiny.Beyond this, by highlighting the linguistic and political ideologies involved in verbal art performances, the book shows the relevance of the study of performance as a key to understanding social action. The Tuscan Poeti construct a poetic art which is alternative to the one proposed by the Italian intellectuals and institutionalized by the Italian nation-state. The book delves into their views of the origin and nature of art, their ethos, and their political stances.
About the Author
Valentina Pagliai teaches at CUNY Queens College, New York. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her main areas of research are verbal duels, performance and argumentative language, racial formation processes, gender and identity. Her publications include the edited issue "Performing Disputes: Cooperation and Conflict in Argumentative Language" (Journal of Linguistic Anthropology), "The Art of Dueling with Words: Toward a New Understanding of Verbal Duels across the World" (Oral Tradition) and "Non-Alignment in Footing, Intentionality and Dissent in Talk about Immigrants in Italy" (Language and Communication).