Multi-stakeholder perspective on the role of universities in place branding

The purpose of this paper is to create a conceptual framework to demonstrate the role of universities as a knowledge partner in place branding networks. This research adopts a case study strategy to explore the perceptions of institutional and community stakeholders in Northamptonshire. The objective is to examine the regional activities and engagement of a single player university in a peripheral region and explore its potential for widening stakeholder participation. Qualitative data was collected through interviews and focus groups and thematically analysed. The university played a complementary ‘partnership’ role to other institutional stakeholders, particularly the public sector. As a knowledge partner, the university filled gaps in information (know-what), skills (know-how) and networks (know-who). The last two aspects are potentially unique to the university’s role in place branding networks and require further development. The conceptual framework demonstrates the potential of a single player university in a peripheral region to enhance the capabilities and skills of stakeholders in place branding networks and widen stakeholder participation. Future researchers can use the framework to develop recommendations for universities’ role in place branding based on their unique situation. There has been limited research on how universities participate and influence participation in place branding. The exploration of this topic in the context of a rural, marginalised region is also novel

Experiences of Black Students at the University of Northampton

In recent years, considerable progress has been made to widen the participation of black students in UK higher education, in the past few months alone, the Covid-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement have shone a stark light on the racial inequalities that exist throughout all sections of UK society, including within higher education. Higher education (HE) has the potential to break intergenerational poverty by bringing about social mobility and justice. Thereby, transforming the lives of many from a disadvantaged background, the wider society and particularly the Black students who may face some level of prejudice. In this paper, the holistic experiences of students of African descent attending the University of Northampton have been explored. Findings reveal that substantial inequalities persist throughout their student lifecycle exposing systemic discrimination, broader political and social realities evident on the campus

Experiences of Students of African Descent at a Post-1992 University in England

In recent years, considerable progress has been made to widen the participation of ethnic minority students in UK higher education, in the past few months alone, the Covid-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement have shone a stark light on the racial inequalities that exist throughout all sections of UK society, including within higher education. Higher education (HE) has the potential to break intergenerational poverty by bringing about social mobility and justice. Thereby, transforming the lives of many from disadvantaged background, the wider society and particularly the students of African descent who may face some level of prejudice. In this paper, the holistic experiences of students of African descent attending a Post-1992 University in Britain have been explored. Findings reveal that substantial inequalities persist throughout their student lifecycle exposing systemic discrimination, broader political and social realities evident on the campus

Exploring cultural connectedness in the sustainability of rural community tourism development in Jamaica

The focus of research into the sustainability of rural community tourism in Jamaica often gravitates toward the economic, environmental, political and management components. This ethnographic study explores how two distinctive groups ‑ the Charles Town Maroons, descendants of slavery resistance fighters and the Seaford Town Germans, descendants of indentured labourers from Germany ‑ are exploiting their culture by way of rural community tourism to fashion new livelihood streams. The discussion offers unique insights into how the concept of horizontal and vertical cultural connectedness can add to an understanding of how locals are drawing on their past to generate intangible and tangible cultural tourism products. It further highlights the meanings culture holds for rural inhabitants in relation to sense of place, identity and the development of sustainable rural community tourism

Eating Paradise: Food as Coloniality and Leisure

Sandals Resorts’ Gourmet Discovery Dining programme continues the company’s practice of marketing difference by combining tourism with the commodification of food from non-Western cultures (Dodman and Rhiney 2008). The article draws on bell hooks’ (1992) concept of ‘eating the other’ and the analysis undertakes an interdisciplinary approach that combines visual analysis with Anibal Quijano’s (2007) concept of modernity/coloniality. The discussion explores the trends of global multiculturalism that have been adopted by Sandals in a hybridized cut and mix approach to selling a packaged ideal of the Caribbean. The visual techniques devised to create a culinary holiday package are overlaid onto a manufactured and homogenised or McDonaldized (Ritzer and Liska 1997) Caribbean that provides insight into the way in which global neoliberal multiculturalism is framed by ongoing colonial relations after formal colonial rule has ended in the Caribbean region

Framing tourist risk in UK press accounts of Hurricane Ivan

This article examines the coverage of selected UK press reports of Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 that was the most powerful storm to hit the Caribbean within the last 10 years. Quantitative content analysis has been utilised in this study to determine the main sources of information on the Hurricane and to examine the framing of tourist risk in the press accounts of this disaster. It is demonstrated that the reporting of Hurricane Ivan in the news items tended to convey information that amplified tourist vulnerability and risk. Institutional official sources were often quoted to reinforce danger and ‘no-escape’ rather than reporting on management strategies to reduce these risks or measures that were implemented to ensure visitor safety. This article therefore contends that media management strategies on disasters need to employ more precise and careful monitoring of media accounts of disasters in major generating markets. Such activities may be invaluable in providing assistance to tourism managers regarding decisions on communications strategies and marketing activity aimed at repairing damage and returning to normality in an affected country or region