This essay will attempt to critically analyse the evolution of events and the implications of cultural commodification in regeneration strategies.

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Events and Regeneration                Donna Clark

This essay will attempt to critically analyse the evolution of events and the implications of cultural commodification in regeneration strategies. In order to try and answer this, this essay will explain Bakhtin’s theory of carnivalesque and the development and progression of festivals. It will also try and fully incorporate all of the issues concerning commodification and how cultures are used for strategies and what the implications are of that. Finally, the essay will cover some of the ways of resistance.

It can be argued that events can be traced right back to the medieval times. Bakhtin, who was a Russian theorist, wrote about the carnivals in that time. Bakhtin (1973) outlines that there was a distinction between official festivals and that of carnivalesque. Official festivals are associated with order and are not about celebration. They were about reaffirming the hierarchy in society, especially since they were organised by political or religious leaders.

Moreover, the other festivals were that of carnivalesque. According to Harcup (2000), carnivalesque was many things at once. It was festive pleasure, the world topsy turvy, destruction and creation and it embraced ritual spectacles. Bakhtin also believed that the development of humour happened within the carnival (Carnivalesque website), giving the whole idea of life being down to earth. Arguably, this could be what is central to the carnival. The hierarchical power structure and control was temporarily suspended within carnivalesque events. The structures and the way they lived their lives were also suspended. Bakhtin (1973) argued that it was life turned inside out because everyone was involved and that is why these events were liberating. Therefore, these events were a safety valve to let all participants feel free.

However, Bakhtin (1973) argues that after the seventeenth century, people did not “live” the carnival, as it lost touch with its folk origins and disappeared from the “public square to private chamber” (Harcup, 2000, pp 223). Hence it became a tradition. Harcup (2000) compares these beliefs to the Leeds St. Valentine’s fair to see if Bakhtin’s theory is still legitimate nowadays. The St. Valentine’s fair has been running since 1992 in Leeds. Harcup (2000) suggests that some traces of Bakhtin’s views on carnivalesque can be related to the modern day event. For example, Bakhtin stated there were no barriers between performers and spectators. Indeed, Harcup (2000) suggests that is the same at the Leeds event because people stand and watch others on rides and the watchers could then be on the ride and being watched. Another example is Bakhtin’s notion of carnivalesque was that normal laws and restrictions were suspended for the period of carnival. The St. Valentine’s fair can also be argued that the rules of the streets where the fair takes place are inverted and streets are potentially cornered off for the fair. To sum up, there are some similarities with Bakhtin’s observations and contemporary events. However, one could say that there are some holes in Bakhtin’s theory as a whole, mainly the accusation of naivety and being idealistic. In addition, Bakhtin’s theory on carnivals “says much about how structural changes impact on people and, in turn, about how people impact on structures within society” (Harcup, 2000, p228). There fore, the altering roles and experiences of carnivals and indeed events can be seen as representative of broader revolutions in society.

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Carnivals and events were changing as time went on. The move to industrial and capitalist societies had an impact. Festivities had become much more controlled and are more tied up to order under modernity. There is a distinction between modernity and carnivalesque. Rojek (1995) argued that modernity is much more about the order of people in society. Hall and Gieben (1992) also states that modernity had attributed to the development of individuals and the emergence of the state as a social regulation. It was related to the civilising influence in society. In addition, leisure is linked to progress and ...

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