Authors: HONGGEN XIAO; STEPHEN L. J. SMITH

Source: Event Management, Volume 8, Number 3, 2003 , pp. 151-160(10)

Publisher: Cognizant Communication Corporation

Abstract:

This article examines residents' perceptions of the Kitchener-Waterloo (Ontario, Canada) Oktoberfest. Data were taken from the 2002 Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Community Survey. Responses from 232 participants to an open-ended question were analyzed using the grounded theory approach to identify typologies of participants and perception patterns. A typology of four participant roles, each with specific role dimensions, is proposed to account for the diversity of residents' perceptions of ethnic cultural events in the multicultural community. Two themes emerge with regard to the preservation of ethnic cultural heritage and cultural change in this increasingly multicultural mosaic. These findings are discussed in the context of literature pertinent to image, pseudo-events and staged authenticity, acculturation, and impacts. Implications of the research and future study options are also suggested.

Keywords: Residents' perceptions; Cultural events; Typology; Participant roles; Grounded theory; Oktoberfest; Kitchener-Waterloo

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada

Publication date: 2003-01-01

More about this publication?

• Event Management, an International Journal, intends to meet the research and analytic needs of a rapidly growing profession focused on events. This field has developed in size and impact globally to become a major business with numerous dedicated facilities, and a large-scale generator of tourism. The field encompasses meetings, conventions, festivals, expositions, sport and other special events. Event management is also of considerable importance to government agencies and not-for-profit organizations in a pursuit of a variety of goals, including fund-raising, the fostering of causes, and community development.

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