AN INVESTIGATION OF RESIDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF POSITIVE FESTIVAL IMPACTS, COMMUNITY ATTACHMENT AND WELL-BEING: A STUDY ON THE JAMESON FESTIVAL, VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE

Abstract

The Study aims to examine residents’ perception of positive festival impacts, social cohesion and cultural benefits on the relationship between community attachment and well-being. An integration of the Social Exchange and Affect Theories are employed to develop and test a conceptual model that test the interrelationships. The quantitative research approach is used to conduct the study on resident attendees of the Jameson Festival in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Via the convenience sampling technique data are collected. Results of the study indicate that festivals foster community cohesiveness and community attachment. They also show that the perceived positive festival impact: community cohesiveness is strongly related to community attachment and well-being; community attachment mediates the relationships. Contrarily, though the relationship between festival cultural preservation and community attachment was partially supported, there was no significant association to well-being. The theoretical implications of the study lay mainly on the introduction of a new theory to the festival body of studies and the study’ findings shed light and direction on practical implications and future directions for festival organizers and scholars