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Social and cultural aspects of events & festivals (IEL-B-3+5-WPM-IEL)
Department
- Bachelor's program Medical, Health and Sports Engineering
Course unit code
- IEL-B-3+5-WPM-IEL
Level of course unit
- Bachelor
Year of study
- Fall 2024
Semester when the course unit is delivered
- 5
Number of ECTS credits allocated
- 5.0
Name of lecturer(s)
- FH-Prof. MMag. Stadler Raphaela, PhD
Learning outcomes of the course unit
- Upon completion of this elective course, students will be able to:
• Discuss how events are both producers and preservers of culture;
• Assess how events can help develop a sense of place and belonging;
• Explain the role of rituals and rites of passage in events;
• Highlight how events can express and celebrate ‘difference’;
• Debate issues of discrimination, inclusion and exclusion at events;
• Discuss how events can empower marginalised communities; and
• Think critically about current challenges and opportunities within the events industry.
Mode of delivery
- face-to-face
Prerequisites and co-requisites
- none
Recommended optional program components
- none
Course contents
- Events and festivals come in different shapes and sizes, and they play a significant role in our everyday lives. Some are professionally organized; others just “happen” when people get together and celebrate what is important to them. This elective allows students to develop an understanding of why we attend events, what is involved in organizing different types of events, and how events impact upon communities and society. Students will also reflect on their own event expectations, motivations, experiences and memories, and gain skills and knowledge that can be applied to a range of careers.
Topics to be covered:
• Social and cultural impacts of events in general;
• Cultural policy, cultural events and their role in society;
• Managing culture, rituals, and traditions in an events context;
• Events and marginalised communities, expressing difference, and issues of inclusion/exclusion;
• Community cultural development and empowerment through events;
• Events and placemaking, sense of belonging and pride;
• Protest events and social movements;
• Contemporary event case studies to apply theory to practice (e.g. Pride events, Full Moon Party, European Capital of Culture)
Recommended or required reading
- Andrews, H., & Leopold, T. (2013). Events and The Social Sciences (1st ed.). Routledge.
Brook, O., O'Brien, D., & Taylor, M. (2020). Culture is bad for you - Inequality in the cultural and creative industries. Manchester University Press.
Kulturamt der Stadt Innsbruck (2022). Kulturstrategie Innsbruck 2030. https://www.kulturstrategie-innsbruck.at/ki/wp-content/uploads/Kulturstrategie_Innsbruck_2030-2.pdf
Walters, T., & Jepson, A. S. (Eds.). (2019). Marginalisation and events. Routledge.
Walters, T., Stadler, R., & Jepson, A. (2021), Positive power: events as temporary sites of power which "empower" marginalised groups. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 33(7), 2391-2409.Arcodia, C., & Whitford, M. (2007). Festival Attendance and the Development of Social Capital. Journal of Convention & Event Tourism, 8(2), 1-18.
Colombo, A. (2016). How to evaluate cultural impacts of events? A model and methodology proposal. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 16(4), 500-511.
Finkel, R., Sharp, B., & Sweeney, M. (Eds.). (2018). Accessibility, inclusion, and diversity in critical event studies. Taylor & Francis.
Heilbronner, O. (2016). Music and protest: the case of the 1960s and its long shadow. Journal of Contemporary History, 51(3), 688-700.
Jaeger, K., & Mykletun, R. J. (2013). Festivals, identities, and belonging. Event Management, 17(3), 213-226.
Jepson, A., & Clarke, A. (Eds.). (2014). Exploring community festivals and events. Routledge.
Jepson, A., & Clarke, A. (Eds.). (2016). Managing and developing communities, festivals and events. Palgrave Macmillan.
Jepson, A. S., & Walters, T. (Eds.). (2021). Events and Well-being. Routledge.
Markwell, K., & Waitt, G. (2009). Festivals, space and sexuality: Gay Pride in Australia, Tourism Geographies. 11(20), 143-168.
Smith, A., Osbornm G., & Quinn, B. (Eds.) (2022). Festivals and the City: The Contested Geographies of Urban Events. University of Westminster Press.
Stadler, R. (2013). Power relations and the production of new knowledge within a Queensland Music Festival community cultural development project. Annals of Leisure Research, 16(1), 87-102.
Taylor, M. (2011). Public policy in the community (2nd ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.
Turner, V. (1969). The ritual process: structure and anti-structure. Routledge.
Van Gennep, A. (1960 [1908]). The rites of passage. Chicago University Press.
Waitt, G., & Stapel, C. (2011). "Fornicating on floats?" The cultural politics of the Sydney Mardi Gras parade beyond the metropolis. Leisure Studies, 30(2), 197-216.
White, Z., & Stadler, R. (2017). "I don't think they give a monkey's about me" - Exploring stakeholder power and community alienation at Glastonbury Festival. In A. Jepson & A. Clarke (Eds.), Power, Construction, and Meaning, in Communities, Festivals and Events (pp. 21-34), Routledge.
Yolal, M., Gursoy, D., Uysal, M., Kim, H. L., & Karacaoğlu, S. (2016). Impacts of festivals and events on residents' well-being. Annals of Tourism Research, 61, 1-18.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
- The course comprises an interactive mix of lectures, discussions and individual and group work.
Assessment methods and criteria
- Project work
Language of instruction
- English
Work placement(s)
- none