Instructor: Nelson Graburn
Term: Spring 2020
Time: Th 2:00pm - 3:59pm
Unit: 4
Course Number: 18957
Course Description:
This seminar is intended for students and visiting scholars with interests in research involving tourism and heritage – embedded of course in sociocultural contexts. It is for those who are beginning to get a grip on the topic, writing research proposals, preparing Field Statements, undertaking research, and writing up honors, masters or doctoral or postdoctoral research. After the basic readings, the seminar focuses on the main interests of the participants.
This seminar explores some of the core features of modernity and globalizing forces. Touristic and Heritage processes are emblematic of modernity and are a major force in the transnational penetration to hinterlands and the global south. Key tropes are tradition, heritage and authenticity. Artistic expressions may now be created as a measure of modernity, both to express new (national) identities and as (ethnic) resistance to cultural appropriation. The course also focuses on museums, cultural/self-commoditization, sex and romance tourism, development and pro-poor tourism, ecotourism, voluntourism and other forms of moralization and exploitation. This year there may be special sessions on Tourism and Music (ethnic and popular music and dance), in preparation for an international conference here in Spring 2020 – March 24-26th.
This course focuses on reading the key works and recent developments. The emphasis will be on topics of immediate professional interest to the participants and the instructor. Books and articles may be distributed digitally or put on reserve.