‘We tried to get rid of the stereotype’: media representations of multicultural festivals in Glasgow, Scotland

ABSTRACT

Multicultural festivals are more than a form of leisure and entertainment for the general public – they are often used as tools to educate the wider population about the culture of ethnic minority groups, promoting understanding and increasing tolerance of diversity. It has been argued that the ways in which multicultural events are represented in the media may help to resist and/or overcome negative stereotypes. Media narratives both construct and represent society, and in so doing they play a powerful role in shaping societal perceptions. Here we focus on in-depth case studies of two multicultural festivals held in Glasgow, Scotland. We ask: how do media narratives around these events convey and communicate the meanings and values of the ethnic minority communities? We investigate whether the media coverage usefully counters negative stereotypes and assess its potential to transform individuals and society. We conclude the ability of the media to be a platform for disseminating positive messaging and educating their readers is limited. Through the event narratives the media portray a version of Glasgow itself, essentially revealing the city in terms of its people and its place rather than using the festivals as an opportunity to facilitate meaningful conversations about cultural diversity.

KEYWORDS:

• Multicultural events
• diversity
• media narratives
• representation
• Scotland

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. The Evening Times was rebranded as Glasgow Times in December 2019 – both names are used in the presentation of the findings as appropriate.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Humanities in the European Research Area [Grant Agreement 769478].

Notes on contributors

Trudie Walters

Trudie Walters is an independent researcher from Ōtepoti/Dunedin, Aotearoa New Zealand. Her research platform is centred on events and leisure as interdisciplinary lenses through which to understand the inner workings and values of society.

David McGillivray

David McGillivray holds a Chair in Event and Digital Cultures at University of the West of Scotland. His main research interests focus on a critical reading of the contemporary significance of events and festivals (sporting and cultural) as markers of identity and mechanisms for the achievement of wider economic, social and cultural externalities.

Séverin Guillard

Séverin Guillard is a Lecturer at the University Picardie Jules Verne. He was formerly a postdoc on the Festspace HERA project. His work focuses on cultural practices and power relations in cities, in France, the United States, and the United Kingdom.