Whose Diwali is it? Diaspora, Identity, and Festivalization

Bibliographic Data

ID20414737
AuthorsAlison L Booth (0000-0003-2237-5279), Alison Booth (0000-0001-7138-6295, corresponding author)
Year2015
Volume15
Issue3
Pages215-226
Publication date2015-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueTourism Culture & Communication (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1098-304X • E-ISSN: 1943-4146
PublisherCognizant, LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.3727/109830415x14483038034209
OpenAlexW2511875961
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited7

This article interrogates how the government engagement in economic and political management decisions may affect the cultural representation and cultural identity of minority or diasporic cultures. Set in Auckland, New Zealand, the results demonstrate how festival producer relationships and diaspora community involvement transform under the influence of festivalization. Auckland's “Major Civic Event,” Diwali: Festival of Lights is the largest festivity representing New Zealand's Indian diaspora. More recently, and especially in diasporic settings, Diwali has been referred to as a “festival” and a public celebration for Hindus and non-Hindus alike. The case study, central to this research, traces factors (1998 to 2013) that have transformed the production of Diwali, one of India's most important cultural festivals, from a community celebration to a cultural tourism destination. The findings in this research demonstrate how diaspora communities react when executive management decisions seek to align events with larger tourism and economic development strategies central to festivalization

Aesthetics · Cultural identity · Diaspora · Media studies · Political science · Politics · Social science · Sociology · Tourism · Gender Studies · Law · Socioeconomic Development in Asia · South Asian Cinema and Culture · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts

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