Tourism, Globalisation and Cultural Change An Island Community Perspective

by Macleod, Donald V. L.

• ISBN13: 9781873150719
• ISBN10: 1873150717
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-05-14
• Publisher: Channel View Publications

Summary

In what ways does tourism change the host community? This book offers original insights into the broad and deep influences of tourism, and places them within the historical context of globalisation. Intensive fieldwork spanning many years on a Canary Island has produced a rich portrayal of the community, examining the changes experienced in areas including their working lives, families, identities, local culture, values, attitudes, political structure and economic base. The tourists, predominantly independent, are also examined, and their unique impact analysed. The research emphasises the indigenous experience, and makes cross-cultural comparisons, especially with island communities. It employs the methods of sociocultural anthropology and includes the multidisciplinary findings of tourism studies: in doing so it is innovative and challenges standard understandings of the influence of specific types of tourism on small communities.

Author Biography

Donald Macleod is a Research Fellow and Director of the Crichton Tourism Research Centre at the University of Glasgow.

Table of Contents

Preface	viii
Acknowledgements	x
Part 1: The Issues, The Community and the Tourists
1. Tourism, Globalisation and Cultural Change	3	(20)
Introduction	3	(1)
Theoretical Concerns	4	(14)
Globalisation, change and agency	4	(7)
Identity, authenticity and the gaze	11	(3)
Islands and tourism	14	(3)
Accounts of history	17	(1)
The Fieldwork Site	18	(5)
2. Valle Gran Rey: A Changing Destination	23	(43)
La Gomera in Context	23	(1)
The Physical Setting	24	(17)
Vueltas: the settlement	33	(8)
Perspectives on History	41	(25)
Recorded history	41	(6)
Local observations	47	(5)
Fishing development and decline	52	(2)
Individual voices	54	(12)
3. The Tourists: Types and Motivation	66	(33)
Examining Tourists	66	(1)
The Growth of Tourism	66	(2)
The Variety of Visitors	68	(9)
Seasons and tourists	70	(7)
Tourists: Motivations and Experiences	77	(13)
Motivation	77	(4)
German women and Gomeran men	81	(4)
Cultural stereotypes	85	(5)
Foreign Settlers	90	(3)
Change and the Future	93	(6)
Part 2: The Influence of Tourism
4. Work and Property	99	(36)
Introduction	99	(2)
The Transforming Economy	101	(4)
Overview	101	(2)
Employment and social stratification	103	(1)
Tourist types and specific impacts	104	(1)
Business and Employment in Vueltas	105	(19)
The working environment	105	(10)
The business of fishing	115	(9)
Changing Attitudes Towards Work and Property	124	(11)
Gender and the division of labour	124	(1)
Tourism and new work	125	(2)
Business attitudes and new opportunities	127	(3)
Property	130	(5)
5. Power and Conflict	135	(20)
Introduction	135	(1)
Global Events: The European Union and its Impact on Vueltas	136	(2)
Local Politics	138	(9)
Formal structure	138	(1)
The elections	139	(2)
Personalities in politics	141	(3)
Political power and patronage	144	(3)
Local Conflicts and Global Issues: The Protest	147	(8)
6. Social Identity	155	(32)
Introduction	155	(1)
Local Identities	156	(17)
Pre-Hispanic influences on identity	156	(5)
The Gomero	161	(2)
The fisherman	163	(5)
Gender roles	168	(5)
Global Influences	173	(14)
Strangers	174	(6)
Mass media and education	180	(2)
Tourism and social boundaries	182	(5)
7. Family, Belief and Values	187	(26)
Introduction	187	(1)
The Family in Vueltas	187	(11)
Specific family groups	192	(3)
La casa	195	(2)
Potential marriage partners	197	(1)
Belief and Values	198	(9)
Religious behaviour	198	(2)
Supernatural powers	200	(3)
Envy, competition and criticism	203	(2)
Respect and shame	205	(2)
Local Attitudes and Global Ideas	207	(6)
8. The Ability of Tourism to Change Culture	213	(16)
The Environment and Identity	213	(4)
Tourism and the Globalisation of an Island	217	(2)
Tourism and Cultural Change	219	(10)
General overview	219	(4)
The specific influences of tourism and tourists	223	(6)
References	229	(11)
Index	240