Making Sense of Identity Discourses in International Events, Festivals and Spectacles

Abstract

This edited collection is concerned with international festivals, celebrations and spectacles, as well as the contributions these events make to our social identities. More precisely, it is about two distinctively different and yet interrelated processes: the construction and presentation of identities. It also explores the intersections of identity and community within various event contexts. The book’s interdisciplinary approach, cross-cultural themes and methodological diversity reflect the complexity of its overriding issue that appears to be en vogue in the realms of everyday discourses, popular culture, journalism and academia. In a nutshell, identity refers to the understanding of individuals in terms of who they are, normally in comparison to others. This ability ‘involves knowing who we are, knowing who others are, them knowing who we are, us knowing who they think we are, and so on’ (Jenkins 2008, p.5). Jenkins also notes that planned events, in particular rites and rituals, play an important role in the formation and development of social identities as they tend to celebrate the essence of an identity and mark the transition from one identity to another. However, this volume is less concerned with small-scale or personal private celebrations that consolidate identity than high-profile, international events, festivals and spectacles.