Ian Fanning

---

Supervisor:

---

Research Interests

During my MTS and MA degrees I became interested in masculinities and religions.  I maintain an interest in male initiation rites from a variety of perspectives.  Pertinent to my topic is rites of passage theory (as a category within ritual theory) as related to masculinities and the decline and subsequent proposed re-invention of male initiation rituals.

My latest research interest is in Indigenous masculinities. I am interested in assessing the current state of male initiation rites among Algonquin men and the degree to which these rites have been affected by colonial interventions.

My current work in the summer of 2012 involves a community-based practicum in which I am examining the re-enactments of life during the War of 1812 held in Sharbot Lake in June.  The Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation played a vital role in planning these events.  The written work for this practicum will take the form of a photo-essay in which I will argue that the re-enactments accurately express the political aims of the Shabot Obaadjiwan (Algonquin) First Nation based in Sharbot Lake.  My future work will focus on Algonquin men.  In the fall of 2012 I hope to experience some of the rituals available to Algonquin men, and further work on my dissertation will involve interviews with Algonquin men in my community regarding Indigenous masculinities.