Rural Intangible Cultural Heritage Governance: Discursive Alignment for Sustainable Development

Intangible cultural heritage governance is increasingly relevant to sustainable rural development, yet the conditions under which public, private and residents align priorities, responsibilities and legitimacy remain underexplored. This study examines how these actors conceptualise, prioritise and discursively legitimise it in Bergamo (Italy). Three focus groups were analysed through qualitative thematic coding, software‐assisted co‐occurrence network mapping and Jaccard similarity to compare semantic structures across groups. This mixed qualitative–text‐mining design enabled cross‐group comparison of thematic and semantic patterns. Findings reveal a shared normative core (identity, participation, innovation) expressed through three non‐equivalent logics: an institutional logic centred on territorial coherence and policy continuity; a project‐based logic emphasising performative communication, youth engagement and innovation via initiatives; and a community‐based logic rooted in lived belonging and everyday transmission. We propose a convergent governance framework in which sustainable heritage‐based pathways depend on mediation mechanisms that align rationalities, strengthen legitimacy and support locally retained value. Future research should test the framework against measurable sustainability outcomes.