Browsing by Author "Lotter, Jacoba Catharina (Karin)"

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    Die retoriese rol van literêre feeste, met toespitsing US Woordfees en die Amsterdamse Weerwoordfestival
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-03) Lotter, Jacoba Catharina (Karin); Van Zyl, D. P.; Hauptfleisch, Temple; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Afrikaans and Dutch.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The establishment of literary festivals as a type of event that is presented both nationally and internationally has expanded tremendously in recent years, but it has not as yet received the necessary attention to fully understand its impact on and sociocultural function in a host community. This thesis attempts to formulate a working definition for the phenomenon, in order to gain more insight in its sociocultural function and impact in a host community and thus to contribute towards a more substantial discourse on the subject. The hypothesis is firstly that literary festivals come into existence due to specific needs in the host society and secondly that the strategic application of rhetorical strategies have a positive sociocultural impact. It is argumented that literary festivals function according to the principles of Aristotle’s rhetoric, by convincing festival visitors that books, reading, writing, debating and freedom of speech are of great aesthetic, moral and educational value. The eventual aim is to cause festival visitors to show greater appreciation for literary texts, as illustrated by their increased participation in reading, writing and other literary activities. The following theories serve as points of departure: the system theory as expounded by Itamar Even-Zohar, Gerard Hauser’s application of rhetorics to the public sphere, the ritual theories of Victor Turner and Jeremy Boissevain, as well as festival theories by Mikhail Bakhtin, Donald Getz, Henri Schoenmakers, Paul Kaptein, William Sauter, Don Handelman, Temple Hauptfleisch and Michael Kamp. The programmes, festival contents and other relevant texts that form part of two selected literary festivals, i.e. the Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Wordfest (Woordfees) and the Amsterdam Weerwoordfestival, are scrutinised in order to prove that these festivals are strategically constructed to have a persuasive effect on festivalgoers. A festival’s survival and sustainability is determinated by its establishment of a strong own character; good management (also in times of crisis); effective networks; and the persuasion of both target groups and interest groups that supporting the festival is to their own advantage.