Reflections on culturally sensitive tourism The case of Sweden

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Authenticity as a compromise: a critical realist perspective on Sámi tourism labels

The focus of this doctoral dissertation is the concept of authenticity applied to Sámi tourism. The main aim was to investigate how authenticity has been conceptualised in tourism research and how it related to the use of labels in Sámi tourism. The Sámi Indigenous population have engaged in tourism activities for decades and the outcomes have been mixed. While tourism has been a source of extra income and a way to convey Sámi culture(s), it has also resulted in stress, cultural commodification, and disturbances. Furthermore, tourism can also be a negative force from the perspective of different aspects of sustainability. Due to these factors, this dissertation has sought to analyse authenticity and the role of labels in order to make recommendations regarding Sámi culture(s) in the context of tourism. Furthermore, an alternative conceptualisation of authenticity as a theoretical contribution to tourism scholarship is introduced. Authenticity is a concept that has developed in different directions in tourism research. Approaches to authenticity based on ‘objectivity’, or alternatively on the tourists’ subjective experiences are seen as two extremes, since the basis is either completely subjective or it requires a strict division between ‘authentic’ an ‘inauthentic’. A niche in tourism research has proposed for authenticity to be a negotiation between different dimensions, which is the specific area analysed in this dissertation. Consequently, authenticity is conceptualised as a compromise between the different subjective dimensions of Sámi culture(s) along with historical, political, and socio-cultural aspects. Such a conceptualisation allows for the negotiation of criteria to create a label to protect Sámi culture(s) as well as to promote sustainability. Through such a conceptualisation the Sámi can argue from a standpoint of truth. When everything is reduced to subjective experiences and discourse, it is not possible for one position to be more valid than another. This also allows for the Sámi to counter dominant tourism discourse, which is mainly based on exoticism, Othering and stereotypes. This is also a more bottom-up approach in which ‘authentic’ versus ‘inauthentic’ is not a strict dichotomous division, but rather the result of a dialogue. This dissertation is based on five publications. Two are conceptual and pertain to the role of labels in tourism research and the conceptualisation of authenticity as a compromise. In the latter, the conceptualisation of Sámi culture is based on a critical realist term called ‘concrete universals’. This word encompasses culture as a series of subjective manifestations that have a connection: a universal component. Culture as concrete universals allows for subjective interpretations as well as a connection that brings such interpretations together. Critical realism is a realist emancipatory approach which postulates the existence of one single reality. However, epistemologically, critical realism supports different views on reality and such viewpoints are very important. The critical realist methodological framework employed in this dissertation is the DEA, which stands for diagnosis, explanation, action. First the phenomenon is thoroughly investigated, theories are evaluated and, if necessary, discarded. In the final phase, action, changes are suggested for the situation under study. The framework has also an iterative phase of correction, in which changes can be made to reflect the collected data. The three empirical publications are based, respectively, on a critical discourse analysis of Sámi tourism websites, an interview study, and a content analysis of tourism brochures. Marketing material has been found to be influenced by the general tourism marketing discourse portraying the Sámi and other Indigenous populations as primitive, unchanged, and connected to nature. However, Sámi culture(s) is also portrayed as modern and in constant development. The interview data also showed a focus on nature and sustainability, which has been analysed from the viewpoint of ecotourism.Tämän väitöskirjan keskiössä on autenttisuuden käsite saamelaismatkailuun sovellettuna. Päätavoitteena oli tutkia, kuinka autenttisuutta on käsitteellistetty matkailututkimuksessa ja miten se suhteutuu erilaisten sertifikaattien käyttöön saamelaismatkailussa. Saamelaiset ovat olleet mukana matkailutoiminnassa vuosikymmenien ajan, ja tulokset ovat olleet vaihtelevia. Vaikka matkailu on ollut lisätulon lähde ja tapa kertoa saamelaiskulttuurista, se on myös johtanut stressiin, kulttuuri(e)n kauppatavaraksi muuttumiseen ja häiriöihin. Lisäksi matkailulla voi vaikuttaa kielteisesti kestävyyden eri ulottuvuuksien näkökulmasta. Näistä syistä johtuen tässä väitöskirjassa on pyritty analysoimaan autenttisuutta ja sertifikaattien roolia tavoitteena antaa suosituksia koskien saamelaiskulttuuria(-eja) matkailun kontekstissa. Lisäksi teoreettisena kontribuutiona esitetään vaihtoehtoinen tapa käsitteellistää autenttisuus matkailututkimuksessa. Autenttisuus on käsite, joka on kehittynyt eri suuntiin matkailun tutkimuksessa. Lähestymistavat, joissa autenttisuus perustuu ”objektiivisuuteen” tai vaihtoehtoisesti matkailijoiden subjektiivisiin kokemuksiin, nähdään autenttisuuden kahtena ääripäänä, koska perusta on joko täysin subjektiivinen tai se vaatii tiukan jaon ”autenttisuuden” ja ”epäautenttisuuden” välille. Jotkut matkailututkijat ovat ehdottaneet autenttisuuden olevan neuvottelu eri ulottuvuuksien välillä, jota tämä väitöskirja keskittyy analysoimaan. Tämän analyysin seurauksena autenttisuus on käsitteellistetty kompromissiksi erilaisten subjektiivisten ulottuvuuksien välillä saamelaiskulttuur(e)issa huomioiden historialliset, poliittiset ja sosiaalikulttuuriset tekijät. Tällainen käsitteellistäminen antaa mahdollisuuden neuvotella perusteista, joilla voidaan luoda sertifikaatti suojelemaan saamelaiskulttuuria(-eja) sekä edistää kestävyyttä. Tällaisen käsitteellistämisen kautta saamelaiset voivat vedota perusteluissaan totuuteen. Kun kaikki on pelkistetty subjektiivisiksi kokemuksiksi ja diskurssiksi, ei ole mahdollista, että yksi näkökulma on pätevämpi kuin toinen. Vaihtoehtoinen käsitteellistäminen antaa saamelaisille mahdollisuuden kohdata hallitseva matkailun diskurssi, joka perustuu pääasiassa eksotisointiin, toiseuttamiseen ja stereotypioihin. Kyse on enemmän alhaalta ylöspäin -lähestymistavasta, jossa autenttisuus verrattuna epäautenttisuuteen ei ole tiukka kahtiajako vaan ennemminkin vuoropuhelun tulos. Väitöskirja perustuu viiteen julkaisuun. Kaksi julkaisua on käsitteellisiä. Ne koskevat sertifikaattien roolia matkailututkimuksessa sekä autenttisuuden käsitteellistämistä kompromissina. Viimemainitussa saamelaiskulttuurin käsitteellistäminen perustuu kriittisen realismin ajatukseen konkreettisista universaaleista. Kulttuuri käsitetään sarjaksi subjektiivisia ilmentymiä, jotka ovat yhteydessä toisiinsa: niillä on jokin yhteinen, universaali komponentti. Kulttuuri konkreettisina universaaleina mahdollistaa niin subjektiiviset tulkinnat kuin myös yhteyden näiden tulkintojen välillä. Kriittinen realismi on realistinen ja emansipatorinen lähestymistapa, joka olettaa, että on olemassa yksi todellisuus. Kuitenkin epistemologisesti kriittinen realismi kannattaa eri näkemyksiä todellisuudesta, ja tällaiset näkökulmat ovat erittäin tärkeitä. Tässä tutkimuksessa kriittisen realismin menetelmien viitekehyksenä käytettiin DEA:ta, joka tarkoittaa diagnoosia, selitystä ja toimintaa: Ensiksi ilmiö tutkitaan läpikotaisin, sitä koskevat teoriat arvioidaan ja, jos tarpeellista, hylätään. Viimeisessä vaiheessa eli toiminnassa ehdotetaan muutoksia tutkittuun tilanteeseen. Viitekehyksessä on myös toistuva korjauksen vaihe, jossa voidaan tehdä muutoksia kerätyn aineiston pohjalta. Kolme empiiristä julkaisua perustuvat tässä järjestyksessä kriittiseen diskurssianalyysiin saamelaismatkailun internet-sivuista, haastattelututkimukseen sekä matkailuesitteiden sisällönanalyysiin. Matkailun yleisen markkinointidiskurssin havaittiin vaikuttavan analysoituihin markkinointimateriaaleihin. Se esittää saamelaiset ja muut alkuperäiskansat primitiivisinä, muuttumattomina ja luonnonyhteyden säilyttäneinä. Toisaalta saamelaiskulttuuri(t) esitettiin myös modern(e)ina ja jatkuvasti kehittyvä(i)nä. Lisäksi haastatteluaineisto osoitti keskittymistä luontoon ja kestävyyteen, mitä analysoitiin ekomatkailun näkökulmasta

Mujeres en la arqueología de Mendoza: Pioneras, silencios y nuevas voces

This preliminary article arose from the interest of a group of women archaeologists from different parts of the Province of Mendoza (Argentina) who met with the aim of generating a new perspective on the place of women in the local history of the discipline. This vision, based on their own accounts, makes it possible to highlight, rethink, and question this history and clarify the current situation. To address this issue, we worked on three areas of analysis. The first focuses on recognizing the trajectories of women pioneers and finding evidence of them in the history of archaeology in Mendoza. The second area analyzes the professional disparity between men and women within the discipline. The third area investigates the types of violence in the professional and academic environment. The results show the historical invisibility of pioneer women archaeologists in the province between the 1940s and 1970s. It was also possible to recognize the disparity and professional segregation between women and men in the field of teaching and research, where women achieve less progress in professional careers. Finally, we describe concrete actions of gender violence experienced by women archaeologists today, which reveals the internalization of the mechanisms of patriarchal coercion within the academic system.  Este trabajo, de carácter preliminar, surgió del interés de un grupo de arqueólogas de diferentes regiones de la Provincia de Mendoza (Argentina) reunidas con el objetivo de generar una nueva mirada acerca del lugar de las mujeres en la historia local de la disciplina. Esta visión basada en relatos propios permitió evidenciar, repensar y cuestionar esta historia y seguidamente exponer la situación actual. Para abordar esta problemática se trabajó en el análisis de tres ejes. El primero, se centró en reconocer las trayectorias de las pioneras y evidenciar su presencia en la historia de la arqueología en Mendoza; el segundo eje analizó la existencia de disparidad profesional entre varones y mujeres dentro de la disciplina; el tercero indagó sobre los tipos de violencia ejercida en el ámbito profesional y académico. Los resultados demuestran la invisibilización histórica que han tenido las mujeres pioneras de la disciplina en la provincia entre las décadas de 1940 y 1970. También pudo reconocerse la disparidad y segregación profesional entre mujeres y varones en el ámbito de la docencia y la investigación, en la que las mujeres logran menores avances en la carrera profesional. Por último, se pusieron de manifiesto las acciones concretas de violencia de género experimentadas por las arqueólogas en la actualidad, que dan cuenta de la interiorización de los mecanismos de coerción del patriarcado dentro del sistema académico.

Women in the archaeology of Mendoza: pioneers, silences and new voices

Este trabajo, de carácter preliminar, surgió del interés de un grupo de arqueólogasi de diferentes regiones de la Provincia de Mendoza (Argentina) reunidas con el objetivo de generar una nueva mirada acerca del lugar de las mujeres en la historia local de la disciplina. Esta visión basada en relatos propios permitió evidenciar, repensar y cuestionar esta historia y seguidamente exponer la situación actual. Para abordar esta problemática se trabajó en el análisis de tres ejes. El primero, se centró en reconocer las trayectorias de las pioneras y evidenciar su presencia en la historia de la arqueología en Mendoza; el segundo eje analizó la existencia de disparidad profesional entre varones y mujeres dentro de la disciplina; el tercero indagó sobre los tipos de violencia ejercida en el ámbito profesional y académico. Los resultados demuestran la invisibilización histórica que han tenido las mujeres pioneras de la disciplina en la provincia entre las décadas de 1940 y 1970. También pudo reconocerse la disparidad y segregación profesional entre mujeres y varones en el ámbito de la docencia y la investigación, en la que las mujeres logran menores avances en la carrera profesional. Por último, se pusieron de manifiesto las acciones concretas de violencia de género experimentadas por las arqueólogas en la actualidad, que dan cuenta de la interiorización de los mecanismos de coerción del patriarcado dentro del sistema académico.This preliminary article arose from the interest of a group of women archaeologists from different parts of the Province of Mendoza (Argentina) who met with the aim of generating a new perspective on the place of women in the local history of the discipline. This vision, based on their own accounts, makes it possible to highlight, rethink, and question this history and clarify the current situation. To address this issue, we worked on three areas of analysis. The first focuses on recognizing the trajectories of women pioneers and finding evidence of them in the history of archaeology in Mendoza. The second area analyzes the professional disparity between men and women within the discipline. The third area investigates the types of violence in the professional and academic environment. The results show the historical invisibility of pioneer women archaeologists in the province between the 1940s and 1970s. It was also possible to recognize the disparity and professional segregation between women and men in the field of teaching and research, where women achieve less progress in professional careers. Finally, we describe concrete actions of gender violence experienced by women archaeologists today, which reveals the internalization of the mechanisms of patriarchal coercion within the academic system.Fil: Puebla, Lorena. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Arqueología y Etnología; ArgentinaFil: Prieto Olavarría, Cristina Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Frigolé, Cecilia Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Básicas. - Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Básicas; ArgentinaFil: Guevara Batllori, María Daniela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mendoza. Museo de Ciencias Naturales y Antropológicas J. Cornelio Moyano; ArgentinaFil: Salgán, María Laura. Universidad Tecnologica Nacional. Facultad Reg.san Rafael. Instituto de Evolucion, Ecologia Historica y Ambiente. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Evolucion, Ecologia Historica y Ambiente.; ArgentinaFil: María Sol, Zárate Bernardi. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Básicas. - Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Básicas; ArgentinaFil: Pompei, María de la Paz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Da Peña Aldao, Gabriela Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mendoza. Museo de Ciencias Naturales y Antropológicas J. Cornelio Moyano; ArgentinaFil: Yebra, Lucía Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Básicas. - Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Básicas; ArgentinaFil: Sugrañes, Nuria Andrea. Universidad Tecnologica Nacional. Facultad Reg.san Rafael. Instituto de Evolucion, Ecologia Historica y Ambiente. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Evolucion, Ecologia Historica y Ambiente.; ArgentinaFil: Albarrán, Elina. Gobierno de Mendoza. Ministerio de Cultura y Turismo. Dirección de Patrimonio Cultural y Museos. Área de Arqueología y Paleontología; Argentin

Looking at Arctic tourism through the lens of cultural sensitivity : ARCTISEN – a transnational baseline report

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Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

La renovación de la palabra en el bicentenario de la Argentina : los colores de la mirada lingüística

El libro reúne trabajos en los que se exponen resultados de investigaciones presentadas por investigadores de Argentina, Chile, Brasil, España, Italia y Alemania en el XII Congreso de la Sociedad Argentina de Lingüística (SAL), Bicentenario: la renovación de la palabra, realizado en Mendoza, Argentina, entre el 6 y el 9 de abril de 2010. Las temáticas abordadas en los 167 capítulos muestran las grandes líneas de investigación que se desarrollan fundamentalmente en nuestro país, pero también en los otros países mencionados arriba, y señalan además las áreas que recién se inician, con poca tradición en nuestro país y que deberían fomentarse. Los trabajos aquí publicados se enmarcan dentro de las siguientes disciplinas y/o campos de investigación: Fonología, Sintaxis, Semántica y Pragmática, Lingüística Cognitiva, Análisis del Discurso, Psicolingüística, Adquisición de la Lengua, Sociolingüística y Dialectología, Didáctica de la lengua, Lingüística Aplicada, Lingüística Computacional, Historia de la Lengua y la Lingüística, Lenguas Aborígenes, Filosofía del Lenguaje, Lexicología y Terminología

THE ROLE OF CATTERIES AND BOARDING KENNELS IN ENABLING TOURIST MOBILITY

Pets are increasingly being recognised as family members, leaving their owners with difficult decisions about how to care for them during periods of travel. Tourists can either travel with their pets, leave them in the care of family or friends, or use a paid service provided by an animal boarding facility or ‘pet hotel’. We empirically explore the latter option and theorise pet hotels as enablers of tourist mobility in tourist-generating regions. User-generated content (UGC) consisting of textual pet owner reviews on Google Reviews and Facebook from boarding kennels and catteries across six countries are analysed using qualitative content analysis. We identify three key themes revealing what users of these services emphasise in their reviews: first, catteries and boarding kennel enable pet owners to travel; second, these facilities alleviate tourists’ feelings of guilt or worry; third, pets are imagined to be enjoying their own holidays while at the facilities. This research note sheds light on a growing cultural phenomenon relating to tourism amongst a globally mobile population for whom pets substitute or extend their human families

Reflections on the hegemonic exclusion of critical realism from academic settings : alone in a room full of people

In this paper, I discuss my personal experience of the issues that can arise when adopting critical realism in academic contexts dominated by irrealist (positivist, phenomenological and post-structuralist) methodological approaches. I draw inspiration for my analysis from the concept of Gramscian hegemony and the concept of ‘authenticity’. These concepts are related because hegemonic processes prevent individuals from freely expressing themselves. In my case, academic hegemony has resulted in social pressure to sacrifice my authentic critical realist self in order to achieve academic success. I also discuss groupthink dynamics, suggesting that they are a mechanism by which hegemony–and denial of individual authenticity–can be achieved. This paper is meant to be a theoretical and reflexive discussion, which could be the starting point for empirical studies investigating the situation of a critical realist in a hegemonic academic context.