This made me think of the Doukhobors, about whom there are some films. http://www.spirit-wrestlers.com/films/index.html They were a pacificist communal sect in Russian who migrated to Canada. A split-off group called the Sons of Freedom developed terrorist tactics. Somewhere in there was a protest method that involved walking around naked (as a group) in public; I gather that this was not civil disobedience until a law was passed to address it. The Sons of Freedom also burned houses belonging to Doukhobors, bombed factories, and may have been involved in some assassinations; the nudity seems to have been part of a general attack on love of worldly possessions and prosperity. Pete Seeger sang a song about this, "Do as the Douhkobors do" which clearly sees nudity as a means of peaceful protest. Here's a Life magazine article which suggests that the nudity was presented as Edenic: http://books.google.com/books?id=BE0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30&lpg#v=onepage&q&f=false
This certainly does not address contemporary sociological issues but it's an interesting branch of nudist history. Judy > This would be a good Friday question, but Friday is almost over! I have an > instructor looking for video/DVD which includes a historical overview of > nudism or naturalism, as well as a contemporary survey of sociological > issues involved. I did some subject searching using "nudism" and other > terms with not much luck. Any ideas or suggestions? > > Thank you, > > Jeff Pearson > Univ of Michigan > > VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of > issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic > control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in > libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve > as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of > communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video > producers and distributors. > Gary Handman Director Media Resources Center Moffitt Library UC Berkeley 510-643-8566 [email protected] http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC "I have always preferred the reflection of life to life itself." --Francois Truffaut VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors. VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
