'Cultural Tourism'

[Stephanie]

First of all : mwuuaaah !! so good to see you ! x


But tell me please : how do you balance scientific significance of curiosity , against preserving what you're actually

observing (<< indigenous peoples , or natural wildlife) ?

Do you not feel , that just by observing you alter natural behavior ?

What a hecking conundrum !! : if you want to learn , at the very very least you must observe. : BUT , by observing

you might be altering natural behavior !

What of it , in the scientific world ?

What of Jane Goodall , of Dian Fossey !??

Of course remote populations of human beings , groups of peoples do not sit on par with chimps and gorillas ,

but same principles of interfering (or NOT interfering) applies : what of it ? xxx




Would it not be possible to observe from a peaceful distance , so as to not interfere with the natural rhythm of their lives ?

For science's sake.

And then of course we come full circle back to 'Cultural Tourism'.

Is there legitimate 'room' for it ? x

[Cable87]

Of course remote populations of human beings , groups of peoples do not sit on par with chimps and gorillas ,

but same principles of interfering (or NOT interfering) applies : what of it ? xxx




Would it not be possible to observe from a peaceful distance , so as to not interfere with the natural rhythm of their lives ?

For science's sake.

And then of course we come full circle back to 'Cultural Tourism'.

Is there legitimate 'room' for it ? x

Always good to interact with you too, Miis Stephanie...


Well Miss Stephanie, you've managed to concisely sum-up the most central of conundrums of the entire discipline of Anthropology, and that is the problem of attempting to address and rectify the inherent contradiction of being a 'participant observer' in a place/research site WITHOUT your mere presence being the distraction/interruption that it inevitably and most assuredly is! Anthropologists have been wrestling with this conundrum since Bronislaw Malinowski showed up in New Guinea and the Trobriand Islands back in 1914.


Malinowski is the guy who 'set the standard' for anthropological fieldwork, arguing that you must undertake real 'participant observation' as a researcher, where you actually go and live and have daily interactions with the people in order to understand them.


I'm sure that even Malinowski himself in those early days felt this contradiction; here he was, an aristocratic white European, showing up on the outer eastern islands of the New Guinea archipelago, observing and asking these people probing questions about their rituals, beliefs and practices across the full spectrum of their lives.


His presence and questions were inevitably disturbing and/or corrupting to some degree, no matter how innocuous or benevolent his intentions may have been. The discipline has never been able to really reconcile this ethical contradiction, at least not from anything I have ever read.



But Anthropological fieldwork is definitely a far cry from this type of 'cultural tourism', where 'poverty/'primitivism' as spectacle' is the apparent goal of the experience. Anthropologists do at least go into the field with years of training in conducting research, which includes a great deal of ethics, not to mention huge amounts of background information on the people they seek to study-- particularly if the anthropologist intends to conduct fieldwork with a 'non-industrial' society.


As for 'observing from a distance', it's probably not really possible to conduct in a way that would produce any meaningful results. And even if this were possible, it would raise its own list of ethical considerations.

This was actually the plot of an episode of Star Trek, The Next Generation, an episode called 'Who Watches The Watchers', where Federation Anthropologists are observing a group of aliens on their planet without their knowledge. And of course, they end up being accidentally discovered, which causes all sorts of problems... (sorry to get so nerdy there )


But yes indeed, I feel that this type of cultural tourism, while perhaps a way for an occasional, genuinely interested person (hopefully with a background in Anthropology ) to get to do a bit of 'fieldwork' as their holidays. But this unfortunately will be the rare person who would go on such a holiday, and the majority would go just be going to have a gawk at people they have no intention of understanding or getting to know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronis%C5%82aw_Malinowski

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Watches_the_Watchers

[pigsmickey]

My point was the white folk coming in and as if going to the Zoo , gazing upon the indigenous.

Look up Jarawas.

Clearly my point well lost on ye , too obscure for any to pick up ... ah well.



How would you feel , if 'tourists' came to your neighborhood to observe the 'locals' ? Treat you as some curiosity ?

What about the ecological impact , and the cultural degradation of those so exposed to 'civilization' ?

: I know -- too cerebral for this crowd

Sounds like Caharciveen in the summer!

[Cable87]

Sounds like Caharciveen in the summer!

Been there in the summer, you might be right...

[Dohnut Boy]

It's the Observer Effect really with Cultural Tourism, the act of observing alters that being observed; an interaction not done as Cable says without proper training and insight is detrimental (kudos on the STNG reference btw!). But then again societies around the world are forever evolving and traditional ways of life have changed continually for better or worse.

In a way almost all tourism is Cultural is some sense, attempting to see how other people live - well excluding those that want to travel abroad somewhere that is "like home only warmer". The excuse often put forward for the ogling of the natives is that it brings greater understanding and much needed income; but being English, it always reminds me of that colonial aspect of looking down on the "inferiors".

[Stephanie]

We are naturally inclined to go exploring other countries and civilisations, And with this comes the meeting of other people. It's just natural. And

sticking our noses into other peoples business is natural too. And it's a downhill spiral from there. If I remember correctly, you once posted that you

went to everest ? This is a type of tourism that has changed the lives of the locals, and the beauty of the mountain, we want

to go somewhere different and experience something different, we have to be mindful of the cost.

Just saw this ;

now tired .

Will read again tomorrow xx

[Lucy Chambers]

Classy lady ??? revealing information not required again, just how cool are YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!
Becoming a habit, Lucy.

No, I've never claimed to be classy. And I really can't stand people who slip out of one ID to continue their vendetta under another, hence the rather barbed comment. Ain't it a bitch when you can't even hide?

*to your comment of becoming a habit..be careful sweetie. I'm pretty upfront. You and yours are not...who has most to lose?

[Vitruvian]

No, I've never claimed to be classy. And I really can't stand people who slip out of one ID to continue their vendetta under another, hence the rather barbed comment. Ain't it a bitch when you can't even hide?

*to your comment of becoming a habit..be careful sweetie. I'm pretty upfront. You and yours are not...who has most to lose?

You ain't, night sweetie.

[Lucy Chambers]

Ah!!! You poor thing, missing Anon? Never mind, that imagination and your fondness for fishing . You'll get there....

Deep sigh. How can I miss one eejit when there are so many to take their place? Let's take you for example. You've been floating around for months making no real impression so here you are again. But again just means you are a roving cheerleader for a female who is running out of cheerleaders, therefore easy to spot. Not my fault sweetie

[Vitruvian]

Deep sigh. How can I miss one eejit when there are so many to take their place? Let's take you for example. You've been floating around for months making no real impression so here you are again. But again just means you are a roving cheerleader for a female who is running out of cheerleaders, therefore easy to spot. Not my fault sweetie

Well done you, feeling better now ?