Wolves as Enchantment in a Northern Tourist Economy
Thompson, Manitoba has attempted to brand itself: “The wolf capital of the world”, as a means to enchant the city and its developments, hoping to shed its image as a violent crime and poverty capital. This presentation examines this branding and development through ecosemiotics and sociological theory concerning enchantment and rationalization. I note that Spirit Way Inc. (a tourist company), the city, and various other organizations attempted to rebrand and rationalize the city through the construction of a tourist economy. However, while there was some success and many benefits from this development, I argue the enchantment ultimately proved hyperreal and too removed from the local understandings of wolves and the actual umwelten of wolves to prove sustainably successful, in part resulting in Spirit Way Inc.’s bankruptcy and stalling the tourist economy. Before ending the presentation, I will discuss newer developments from the wolf economy, focusing on Calm Air’s (local airlines) use of imploding meanings as a technique to enchant and entice consumer consumption via blurring, blending, and mystifying the meanings of wolves.
ANDREW MARK CREIGHTON | University of Tartu
Cycle of Seminars: Conservation and Transformation in Ethics and Religion
Scientific coordination: Massimo Leone, FBK-ISR
The speaker will connect remotely.
The event will be held ONLINE in English.
Registration by July 14, 2025 at 12:00 a.m. is required in order to arrange the connection.
Speakers
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Andrew Mark Creighton - SpeakerUniversity of TartuAndrew Mark Creighton is a Research Fellow at the University of Tartu. Estonia. He holds a PhD in Semiotics and Culture Studies from the University of Tartu and is an interdisciplinary scholar working in the fields of semiotic and sociological theory. His research focuses on meaning and consumption, specifically regarding nonhuman animals and their experiences within consumer and production settings. He is also an editor with the semiotics journal, Hortus Semioticus, and is editing the forthcoming volume "Traces of Extinction", which is a collection of perspectives from the social sciences and humanities on extinction and solastalgia.
Registration
Registration to this event is mandatory.
Registration closed on 14/07/2025.
Contacts
Organizers
The initiative was also realized thanks to the contribution of "Direzione generale Educazione, ricerca e istituti culturali" of the Ministry of Culture.