Jaia eta Borroka. Identity Battles, Social Movement Networks and Political Opportunity Structures in the Making of Participatory Culture.

My dissertation analyzes Bilbao’s Aste Nagusia [Big Week], the city’s annual summer festivity, and its festive social movement, from their inception in 1978 to the present day. Comparative studies have characterized the Basque Country as a ‘social movement society,’ and Bilbao as a city showing clear patterns of ‘over-mobilization.’ Moreover, as evidenced by the levels of citizen participation, investment, tourism, and media coverage, popular festivities are the ‘socially marked period’ of the Basque calendar. As a result, Aste Nagusia’s festive time and space condense much of Bilbao’s mobilizational activity, making it one of the largest epicenters of activism in the Spanish state. However, Aste Nagusia remains to date largely understudied, and its festive movement has so far “flown under the academic radar.”

Drawing on a theoretical amalgam that relies on the cross-fertilization of the literature on festive events, organized civil society, urban critical studies, and social movements, my project brings a fresh perspective to the analysis of popular festivities by conceptualizing Aste Nagusia in five main ways. First, as a massive ‘festive event’ hosting more than 300 open-access and free-of-charge cultural activities in the public space. Second, as an unprecedented large-scale model of ‘participatory culture,’ comprising both cultural governance and co-creation between the festive movement and Bilbao City Council. Third, as ‘ephemeropolis,’ or transitory urban commons, built annually in the heart of Bilbao’s Old Quarter during a “9-day week.” Fourth, as a ‘festive collective action field’ at the intersection of institutional politics and organized civil society, and the cultural and economic spheres. And, finally, as a major ‘identity showcase and battlefield,’ where contending festive philosophies and agendas—but also broader political and urban processes—converge. I contend that these characteristics warrant Aste Nagusia’s conceptualization as a ‘public collective good,’ and make it a rara avis in the festive domain.

The thread weaving this fivefold analytical approach is the history and labor of Bilbao’s multi-actor festive movement, articulated in the federation Bilboko Konpartsak. Born with Aste Nagusia in the bursting years of the Spanish democratic Transition and Basque autonomic construction, Bilboko Konpartsak has succeeded in preserving Bilbao’s participatory festive model—and a rare type of activism that combines cultural, political, and ‘right to the city’ claims—despite closing ‘political’ and ‘urban opportunity structures.’ Additionally, formed by “purely recreational” and more politicized comparsas [festive troupes] tied to cultural collectives, neighborhood associations, “new” social movement organizations, and even political parties, my dissertation shows that Bilbao’s festive movement has operated as a true ‘social infrastructure’ bridging deep socio-political cleavages in key historical junctures. One of such coordinates was the process initiated in 2009 by the Abertzale Left to put a definitive end to ETA’s violent activity, and to transition into a “purely democratic” path—this is the context in which much of my ethnographic fieldwork was conducted.

My project studies Aste Nagusia and its festive movement from a double perspective. The relational approach considers the network structure and dynamics of the festive field, and the ties between its organizations, their identity narratives, and socio-symbolic practices. The historical-comparative approach takes into account the shifting ‘political’ and ‘urban opportunity structures,’ with the latter contemplating Bilbao’s evolution towards a post-industrial and ‘neoliberal city’ model since the so-called ‘Guggenheim Effect.’ As I will show, these structures influence the festive movement’s praxis and discourse, and the structure of the festive field itself. Data come from a multi-methods approach combining the analysis of primary and secondary data covering the last five decades, a three-year ethnography conducted in Bilbao between 2009 and 2012, and follow-up research carried out in 2023-2024. Information collected through these multiple methods has been analyzed following the principles of both network and qualitative content analysis.

Benjamín Tejerina 2024ko uztailaren 12a Antonio Ariño Villarroya (presidente), Milagros Amurrio y Camilo Tamayo Sobresaliente Cum Laude, con Mención Internacional, y opción al Premio Extraordinario de Doctorado Modelos y áreas de investigación en ciencias sociales Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU) Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO)