“WHY THE RUHR VALLEY COULD BECOME THE NEW BERLIN”: HOW CHARISMATIC INSTAGRAM USERS IN PARTICIPATIVE GOVERNANCE CONTEXTS PLAYFULLY BRING FORTH A NEW REGIONAL IMAGINARY

Abstract

Drawing on ethnographic data collected from regional Instagram marketing in the Ruhr Valley, this article explores the social and symbolic dimensions of charisma as a resource of civil actors in postindustrial governance settings. It is argued that charismatic Instagram users not only utilize the past as a resource for figurative practices, but also transform it symbolically by mixing it with elements derived from the cultural meaning repertoire of Berlin as a role model for a creative city. Furthermore, results are presented on how Instagram users and public marketing actors engage in the socioeconomic transformation of the region: both groups pursue the goal of bringing forth a new economic imaginary for the region. While charismatic Instagram users aim at redefining the Ruhr Valley by playfully challenging and transforming its industrial structures, regional marketing mainly focuses on following a path set by Berlin, based on the shared characteristic of an industrial past in both areas.