The carnival masquerades often hide people’s identity, but at the same time they also express something important.  Often, in the carnival itself or carnavalesque events such as Hallowe’en in the United States, cross-dressing is a forbidden or taboo subject.  People express their social criticism through parody and inversion of roles.  On the contrary, in other street events, such as marches, cross-dressing hides identities and expresses a claim for social change. 

Jack Santino teaches at the Department of Popular Culture, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio in the United States.  

Listen to Jack Santino’s presentation (in English) :

> Read the presentation : Masked identities expressed in protest marches (in English)