A reflection on the expansion of and othering in valencian moors and cristians festivals

Abstract

This article analyses the southern model of Valencian Moors and Christians festivals through a sociological perspective, with the aim of explaining their contemporary expansion and assessing their potential as practices of othering. Drawing on a critical reading of historical and ethnographic sources and engaging with both sociological and postcolonial (and decolonial) theory, it demonstrates how, since the late twentieth century, the festival has expanded from some thirty towns to more than one hundred. This growth can be attributed not only to socio-economic factors but also to the festival’s adaptation to postmodernity: the rise of spectacularization, commodification, and tourist projection, together with the strengthening of associational networks and collective identity. The analysis highlights a glocal paradox and traces a symbolic shift from the “enemy Moor” to the “festive Moor,” while noting that such evolution does not entirely erase dynamics of othering. The article concludes by framing the festival as a site of tension between inclusion and exclusion, where reflexive sociology can contribute to fostering more critical and inclusive practices.