835
Tourism and the Power of Representation
Language: 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.