Uniform ethnography

[Sallz]

I am writing an essay as part of my University coursework based on an object which signals information, creates relationships and defines a person in a social context. As an old blue my first thought was the CH uniform, which manages to do all of these things. I am conducting a type of ethnography (an immersive social study) which will form the bulk of my essay, however I need some references. If anyone knows of any books featuring the CH uniform, or any other ethnographies featuring uniform cultures (Zulu tattoos? Gang tags?) it would be of a great help.

Thanks

Sally

[Katharine]

Don't know where you'll find either of these written up Sally. When we were in Sarawak (90s) the elderly ladies of some of the interior tribes still had fantastic tattoos which on first sight looked as if they were wearing black lace elbow length gloves. These ladies mourned the passing of the tattoos as they said it was now impossible to tell who was who, and their position in society. Another example is tribal scarring in West Africa, I worked in Northern Ghana in the late 60s and the majority of secondary school students had tribal scarring. I could recognise some styles amongst these, but I am sure I missed a lot.

[Ajarn Philip]

Interesting, Sally! But I wonder to what degree the uniform defines someone in a social context? It obviously makes a very specific statement about where that person goes to school, but in a more general social context it says nothing. Or gives conflicting signals to different people: "posh gits" on the one hand and "Oh yes, CH - aren't they all impoverished orphans?"

You should have fun exploring this topic - maybe you could post your finished essay on here?

[Sallz]

I will see what I can do, although I'm not sure how the site will cope with features like references and pictures.

I do not necessarily believe that uniform defines a person in a social context, but that was one of the aspects we were asked to explore, and what better way to find out if it does than posting on here?

Thanks for that Katherine, I will look out for those in the library.

[wurzel]

Why not include motorcycle MC's that is the full on back patch bike clubs - there is a whole language of back patch, side patch significations colour codes and small patches. good backgrounder here - safer than asking the wrong people

http://www.ukbikeforum.com/html/bike_clubs.shtml

[Rex]

The best account of the (male) CH uniform that I'm aware of is in Charity Costumes by Phillis Cunnington and Catherine Lucas (London, A & C Black, 1978).

(P.S. Are you the same Sally Ford who's social secretary of LiveSoc in Southampton? http://livesoc.co.uk/)

[Sallz]

Thanks Wurzel, I will have a look into that.

Rex- Yes I am, and thanks for the book reference, I will go and raid the library.

[sejintenej]

Another example is tribal scarring in West Africa, I worked in Northern Ghana in the late 60s and the majority of secondary school students had tribal scarring. I could recognise some styles amongst these, but I am sure I missed a lot.

Katharine:
I know that each tribe (Akan, Ewe, Grunshie etc) had it's own unique scarring patterns but it always seemed to me that within those patterns there were variations but that was a subject "one does not raise". Certainly our staff could immediately spot what tribe a new person was from ........
Going one stage further, the Akan (in those days) had a thing about over-feeding their girls so that their obesity proved to a suitor that the father was rich - we had one such girl in the office whose wrists were greater diameter than a weightlifter's thighs.
Someone, somewhere must have written a book / scientific paper on the subject