Ambiguous identities in liminal spaces

Speaker

• Jason Mast - Università di Trento

Discussant

• Andrea Mubi Brighenti - Università di Trento

On a daily basis, the Venice Beach walkway in Los Angeles California attracts people from all walks of life, be they tourists, locals recreating or working, celebrities or the unhoused. 
The space cultivates an atmosphere in which people’s statuses and identities are rendered extraordinarily ambiguous. 
In this talk, I discuss the techniques through which local figures work to reduce their status ambiguity in attempt to communicate to visitors that they are “authentic street performers” who should be tipped for their services.