RESEARCHING FESTIVALS - A NEW BRANCH OF CULTURAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES?
RESEARCHING FESTIVALS - A NEW BRANCH OF CULTURAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES?

Summary/Abstract: This work wants to bring in the attention of academic community, as well as those interested in this subject, a new research theme overlooked in the field of cultural studies, namely music festivals and their significance for contemporary Romanian culture. The festival market in Romania has grown significantly in recent years, with a variety of events such as theater festivals, music festivals, film festivals, gastronomic festivals, medieval festivals, and more. This is also the subject of my doctoral thesis, a brand new research in Romania. Such events not only signify entertainment but also involve elements of psychology, sociology, ethnology, as well as practical matters such as budgets and the impact on local tourism. In other countries, there are already university programs titled Festival Studies that address this branch of cultural studies. As an example, we can mention the Eurovision Song Contest, which has inspired numerous academic studies. Furthermore, psychology plays a crucial role in such events, especially as the audience experiences various emotional states, ranging from joy and euphoria to even sadness. We will attempt to address this topic from a psychological perspective as well.

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