Call for Abstracts, ISA 2018, RC50 International Tourism
1. Knowledge, Tourism and Society: Power, Violence and Justice through Research
Session Organizer(s):
Can-Seng OOI, canseng.ooi@utas.edu.au, University of Tasmania, Australia
Anne HARDY, anne.hardy@utas.edu.au, University of Tasmania, Australia
Session in English
Many tourism investigations address a myriad of issues, ranging from climate change to appropriation of aboriginal cultures, and local development issues. Knowledge generated can transform host communities, improve business practices and enhance tourist experiences. There can also be unintended consequences. NGOs, activists, policy makers, politicians etc appropriate science to further causes or inform decision-making. Researchers often try to make their findings more relevant for a particular community and to increase publication prospects. Therefore, knowledge production and knowledge use are political. Academic knowledge can be used and be misused. Different sectors and stakeholders in society have conflicting, contrasting and even contradicting interests and agendas, the knowledge scholars generate inevitably have political and social implications for themselves, the community and/or the industry. Power, violence and justice are inherent in knowledge, and this session invites critical papers on these themes, which address the ‘impact’ agenda in tourism knowledge.
This panel seeks reflections on impact (or lack of it) in tourism research. Some questions are:
· What are the academic politics of the impact agenda on the tourism academy and the implications for advancing tourism knowledge and for researchers?
· What are the perceived benefits/disbenefits of engagement with impact in tourism knowledge production for academicians and practice (e.g. in policy implications)?
· How does the impact agenda exert power over knowledge creation?
· Learning from case studies of best practices or unintended consequences that impact research and engagement has brought about – does this result in a more ‘just’ tourism (e.g. better development policies)?
4. Inclusion and Exclusion in Tourism
Session Organizer(s):
Emese PANYIK, epanyik@braga.ucp.pt, Catholic University of Portugal, Portugal
Salla JUTILA, salla.jutila@ulapland.fi, University of Lapland, Finland
Session in English
World Tourism Day 2017 was designated a year of sustainable tourism, including promotion of openness and welcoming all travelers. Accessibility and openness are two of the many aspects of inclusion, while the lack is exclusion, which are the main focus of this session.
The concept of inclusion in tourism has been analysed from various different viewpoints ranging from accessible tourism (e.g. Michopoulou et al, 2015), accessible hospitality (Harju-Myllyaho & Jutila, 2016), community participation (Tosun & Timothy, 2003; Panyik, 2012), empowerment (Timothy, 2007) and power relations in collaboration (Bramwell & Sharman, 1999).
Accessibility has a number of dimensions relating to physical, social, cultural, economic and political aspects (e.g. Jutila, 2013; Edelheim, 2013). Physical accessibility refers to physical barriers that may occur at any stage of the travel. Social dimension refers to equality, openness, participation and attitudes. Cultural accessibility relates to awareness and reverence of the habits of different cultures and religions. Economically accessible tourism is also available for people with a lower income. Political dimension of accessibility refers to structures and regulations, which can create insuperable barriers to travelling. Inclusion covers all these dimensions taking into account both tourist’s, worker’s, business’ and community’s viewpoint.
We invite submissions (in English) that address inclusion and exclusion in tourism, particularly – but not limited to – papers focusing on the following:
•Knowing about tourism inclusion and exclusion
•Accessibility
•Community participation
•Power relations of inclusion
•Empowerment and tourism inclusion
•Ethics of inclusion/exclusion in tourism
•Embodiment and inclusion
•Working conditions in tourism
•Inclusion in tourism management
7. Emergent Soft Science Approaches in Tourism Studies
Session Organizer(s):
Keith HOLLINSHEAD, khdeva@btopenworld.com, University of Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
Session in English
This session invites presentations on state-of-the-art / cutting edge developments in advanced SOFT SCIENCE research approaches, focussing upon, for instance:
•emergent interpretive processes;
•advanced qualitative research methodologies;
•unfolding soft science critique;
•cutting edge ontological / epistemological thought;
•tensions and contradictions in qualitative research today.
Presenters will be expected to give:
[i] the philosophy behind the emergent thinking, and then
[ii] relate that conceptuality to on-the-ground thinking International Tourism Studies.
The session will operate at the METHODOLOGICAL level rather than at the METHODS level.
2. Tourism and the Power of Representation
Session Organizer(s):
Keith HOLLINSHEAD, khdeva@btopenworld.com, University of Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
Rukeya SULEMAN, rukeya.suleman@gmail.com, University of Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
Session in English
This session seeks to pull together developing ideas on the representation of peoples and places in terms of the declarative authority and agency of tourism. The session organisers are keen to receive abstracts from individuals or research teams who wish to deliver a workshop presentation within the session on one of the following (or related) topics:
•Tourism as a representational power
•… to legitimate;
•… to sanctify;
•… to frame;
•… to suppress;
•… to normalise; and/or,
•… to project ‘preformulated worlviews’.
The following definition of REPRESENTATION may help individuals and research teams prepare relevant proposals:
"the set of processes by and through which signifying practices depict or stand for things/ activities / events in the ‘real’ world … where those acts of symbolism mirror a particular version of being and becoming … where those acts of signification project particular favoured meanings … and where those articulated identifications are intrinsically bound up with forces of power in the accordant selection and production of subjects and objects and also in the neglect or suppression of other worldviews."
Tourism Studies conceivably continues to experience a frightening disregard for matters of symbolism and signification in and through tourism and travel. While the last quarter of the 20th century may have been the period when questions of SUSTAINABILITY (and environmental stewardship) came to the fore in Tourism Management and Tourism Studies, the first quarter of the 21st century is conceivably the period when question of SYMBOLIC POWER.
5. Silenced Voices and Lingua Franca in Tourism
Session Organizer(s):
Erdinç ÇAKMAK, cakmak.e@nhtv.nl, NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands
Rami ISAAC, isaac.r@nhtv.nl, Breda University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands
Session in English
In many theoretical analyses, the term “voice” has been coined to problematize the nature of inequalities. In tourism studies, voices can relate to the types of inequality dominating in a particular region or a particular subject. For example, labeling a cultural heritage, designing a community-based tourism setting, proposing a tourism planning and development and so on. Silenced voices are voices that have been silenced or that are unable to express themselves. They are more often unobserved in official, academic, or professional discussions. This is often due to the reality of predominant hegemonic power relations. This session invites papers studying multiple sites of discrimination, disadvantage and denial and seeking discussions on how voices might be silenced, which voices are privileged, which voices are suppressed, levels of diversity of voices, and how power is wielded in these contexts? In relation to voice, is the issue of language, and the role of lingua franca in tourism studies, arguing that the tourism academia functions within the limits of power constellations of global tourism. Language is an important factor in this context. Speaking and writing English, also implies the domination of the Anglo-Saxon academic culture (Çakmak & Isaac, 2017). Yet, English functions as a prominent lingua franca for international tourism studies and predominates over more universal, or holistic discussions (Platenkamp, 2015). The challenging question in this session is how does the tourism academy integrate different cultures into this lingua franca in order to include as much as possible the richness of the other cultural perspectives?
8. Gender and Tourism Power. Violence and Justice: Reflections, Responses and Responsibilities
Session Organizer(s):
Stroma COLE, Stroma.cole@uwe.ac.uk, University, United Kingdom
Session in English
The study of gender as a pertinent issue within tourism began receiving academic interest and systematic investigation in the 1990s. Although on the agenda for 30 years, women continue to face injustice and it remains the case that while women make up half of formal tourism employment, they are far more likely than men to be found in lower-paid, unskilled jobs. Women face discrimination, occupational segregation, they are undervalued, stereotyped and not promoted, they are given less training than men, and they tend to struggle more with work-life balance. Few women are in management jobs, in the public or private sector. As a gendered practice, the working conditions of women in the tourism industry tend to reproduce, or may even deepen, gender inequalities .
Institutional responses are to suggest that women can be empowered by tourism, and indeed, for some it has proved to be a lifeline out of poverty. However, the rhetoric is frequently over stated, the global hegemonic masculinity that gives agency to capitalism frequently results in a lack of control and powerlessness. On a personal level, some women are able to resist and renegotiate gender norms, become role models in their societies and share their power.
This panel seeks further understanding of these pressing issues by exploring continuing power imbalances and injustices experienced by women living with tourism. It invites papers that offer reflections on women’s experiences of tourism work, as well as their responses by way of resistance and renegotiation of gender norms and inequalities.
3. Tourism is Just Another Name of Power
Session Organizer(s):
Antonio Miguel NOGUES PEDREGAL, amnogues@umh.es, University Miguel Hernandez, Spain
Raúl TRAVÉ-MOLERO, travemolero@hotmail.com, The Ostelea - School of Tourism & Hospitality, Spain
Session in English, Spanish
Tourism is not simply an industry that produces commodities or provokes millions of people to move all over the world. Social scientists have overall mostly approached tourism as an external force inducing all sorts of changes in receiving societies. Social sciences cannot approach tourism as such any longer for it has been overtly present in the world for almost sixty years.
It can be said that tourism is the most sophisticated elaboration created by capitalist forces and interests. It is so because the tourism industry constantly occupies new places for the leisure consumption of certain social groups. It contributes to the renovation of dependency relations among regions by relocating the economic capital and the labour force. It soaks through the social structure, inducing cultural patterns of consumption. It presents itself as the sole ‘‘passport to development’’ for many communities and territories. It marks rhythms and impose new uses of the places. It markets the intangible and thus produces meanings and sense. Tourism has the capability to spread all over the world producing new social actions, to name them, to create differences among them, to order them, and, most importantly, to manage those differences by means of distinctive policies.
This session explores how tourism studies researchers do integrate social theories and concepts on power, politics or governance in their data analyses or whether tourism researches influence social theories conceptualizations on power, politics or governance. It welcomes papers that illustrate the discussion on power, politics or governance with case-study descriptions.
6.Tourism and Violence
Session Organizer(s):
Jan TE KLOEZE, jantekloeze@wice-dsl.nl, Foundation WICE-DSL, Netherlands
Session in English
This session calls for thoughtful contributions on issues of violence in respect of the following potential themes: tourism and religion, tourism and sexuality, tourism and gender, tourism and exploitation, tourism and exclusion, and a combination of these phenomena of life, or on other topics not listed here.
The roots of liberal democracy encompass violence (Mishra 2017). A critical view on the concept of regression may be part of the discussion. The same holds for the concept of cultural clash in the context of a historic approach, and the reaction on colonialism and imperialism. Regarding current violence and terrorism the “western world” might be modest (c.f. the history of anarchistic terrorism in Europe in the 19th century, or the Raf (Germany) and the Red Brigades (Italy) in the 20th century). On the other hand, and relevant because of the impact for tourism, the destruction of cultural heritage seems to be specific in the 21st century. Nevertheless, in general theories about violence should play a role while discussing the theme tourism and violence. Some examples: on macro level: social conflict theories, primordialism (c.f. Conteh-Morgan, Earl 2003), constructivist (c.f. Varshney, Ashutosh). On micro level: relative deprivation (c.f. Gurr, Ted 2011), collective action theory (c.f. Opp, Karl-Dieter 1986), greed versus grievance (c.f. Collier, Paul; Hoeffler, Anke 2004).
Approaches in terms of (e.g.) colonization versus post-colonization & de-colonization and/or singular versus multiple identities (ethnic, national, trans) may be useful as theoretical points of departure.
9. RC50 Open Session
Session Organizer(s):
Jens Kr. Steen JACOBSEN, jens.s.jacobsen@uis.no, University of Stavanger, Norway
Scott MCCABE, scott.mccabe@nottingham.ac.uk, Nottingham University Business School, United Kingdom
Session in English
The purpose of this session is to call for innovative papers and other presentations which aim to advance the current state of knowledge within the sociology of international tourism but which may not fall directly within the remit of the main themes of the conference.