request for help (fwd)

[Tad Pennington <tpenning@ua1ix.ua.edu>]

Date: Fri, 9 Jun 1995 11:45:59 -0600 (CDT)
From: Tad Pennington <tpenning@ua1ix>
To: sca-east@world.std.com
Subject: request for help (fwd)

Date: Thu, 8 Jun 1995 14:29:53 -0600 (CDT)
From: Tad Pennington <tpenning@ua1ix>
To: sca-west@ecst.csuchico.edu
Subject: request for help (fwd)

Date: 8 Jun 95 13:29 -0500
From: Joy DAY <Joy_DAY/ADMIN@HPDESK.UTC.EDU>
To: meridies@his.uab.edu
Subject: request for help

Greetings to all:

I have just begun research for a paper, and I was wondering
if anyone on the net might have some suggestions (I should
probably post this on the Rialto as well, but I'm not a
subscriber).

I'm looking for information on SCA membership demographics--
who joins and why; annual membership numbers--charting the
growth of the SCA, which years saw the greatest increases
in membership; or any publications featuring articles on
the SCA, preferably scholarly publications. As I said, I've
only just begun research, but so far I've only found one
article on the SCA specifically, and that was in _Seventeen_!
I'm beginning to think that nobody has done serious research
on the SCA as an aspect of popular culture.

I'd also be interested in interviewing (ideally by e-mail)
anyone involved in the founding of the SCA itself or of
particular kingdoms, mainly to get their impressions on
what attracts people to the SCA and if they see connections
between jumps in the rate of new subscriptionmembership and any current
events (e.g., more new members during Republican administra-
tions, during economic recession, while a medieval-themed
movie is doing well at the box office, etc.).

If if appears that I'm sort of flailing around here, I AM!
I'm responding to a call for papers, and I'm trying to find
an angle I can work with. The idea is, as previously stated,
to examine the SCA as a reflection of American culture in
general, so I thought I needed some basic facts about the
membership of the SCA to start with. If anyone has any ideas
or could pass along to others my request, I would be deeply
indebted.

Thanks!
Madelena