Delibero ergo vivo: How deliberative forums can support the economic vitality of cultural festivals. A mixed-methods approach to
- research
- study
Abstract
Cultural festivals are increasingly prominent within the Italian cultural landscape and have been investigated as potential facilitators of economic vitality, understood as the capability of a context and its socio-economic institutions to enable people to identify valued aims. Previous literature has linked this possibility to inclusive decision-making
and inter organisational networks. Building on the assumption that preferences are endogenous, deliberation may support both processes by reducing the risks of exclusionary control and organisational lock-in. Yet less is known about whether organisations reconsider their own strategic priorities after collective deliberation.
This study explores whether and how deliberation is associated with changes in festivals’ value-oriented strategic objectives. Three festival directors from Trentino took part in a mixed-method structured focus group, identifying and scoring strategic priorities related to networks, governance, and generativity before, during, and after deliberation. Quantitative descriptive analyses indicate preference transformation, an overall increase in perceived relevance, and greater convergence, although changes varied across dimensions and participants. Qualitative findings revealed clarification and negotiation of meanings, perspective-taking, intersubjective recognition,
procedural alignment, and coordination. Overall, the findings support a view of deliberation as a process through which cultural organisations may discover, redefine, and reconsider valued strategic aims, potentially supporting mutual learning, cooperation, and the economic vitality of their territories.
Speaker
Andrea Ronzani, Università di Trento
Chair
Silvia Sacchetti, Università di Trento
ID riunione: 891 4341 3872
Codice d’accesso: 087613
Immagine: © Roger Sugden, “Series on Economic Atmosphere Created by Street”