Festive culture, local politics and social hegemony: Comparative cases of moors and christians (alcoi), the fallas (Valencia) and the Patum (Berga)

Abstract

The festive culture has become, at the end of the 21st century, an increasingly central element in social life, the territorial identity and in some cases the economy and politics of the cities. Halfway to traditional reproduction, patrimonialization and innovation, the festive culture has been analysed in its symbolic, economic or tourist aspects, but not in an adequate approach as a social space for dispute over cultural and political hegemony in which identity and the traditional social order is in tension with the initiatives aimed at social inclusion and gender equality. From three very relevant cases due to its local and international dimension, Moros i Cristians (Alcoi), Falles (Valencia) and Patum (Berga) the paper analyses this conflict between the traditionalist festive cultural sphere and innovative politics, as well as the various strategies of management of the festivities that lead to a reproduction of the social order and its inequalities or strategies that contribute to greater inclusiveness and equality.