Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract/Objectives

This course introduces the principal theoretical strands in tourism studies. Each week, students engage with selected readings and discussions centered on specific issues and themes. In addition to grounding students in key debates in the socio-cultural analysis of tourism since the 1970s, the course seeks to develop their understanding of the distinct perspectives and analytical approaches of these two principal strands. The first strand represents the critical approach of developmentalism in tourism studies, grounded in the fundamental proposition of "uneven development." Scholars in this tradition argue that, in the process of globalization, the tourism industry has contributed to the degradation of local environments — both natural and cultural — and has even fostered the formation of dependent enclave economies and a form of cultural quasi-colonialism. The second strand examines the global expansion of tourism and its relationship with capitalism through the lenses of "late modernity" and the "symbolic economy." Within this framework, concepts such as the "tourist gaze" are employed to analyze the diversification of tourist experiences, with particular emphasis on alternative tourism, the possibilities of diverse tourism discourses, and the reflexivity of the tourism experience. Through the introduction of these two principal strands and the readings and discussions organized around specific issues and themes, the course ultimately hopes to enable students to develop their own research perspectives and analytical approaches to the study of tourism.

Results/Contributions

This course aims to guide students in mastering the two core theoretical strands of tourism studies, exploring contemporary tourism phenomena since the 1970s through the lens of socio-cultural analysis. Through readings and discussions, the course helps students build a critical research perspective. Its learning outcomes are closely aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as demonstrated in the following aspects:

 

[Reflecting on Uneven Development and Local Rights]

Echoing SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), the course guides students through a critical approach grounded in the fundamental proposition of ‘uneven development.’ Through this, students come to understand and reflect upon the impacts of the tourism industry's global expansion on local natural and cultural environments. This in turn cultivates students' ability to examine underlying inequalities and explore ways to sustain decent work within the tourism industry.

 

[Reflexivity of the Tourism Experience and Responsible Consumption]

Echoing SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), the course guides students to analyze the relationship between tourism and capitalism through the lenses of "late modernity" and the "symbolic economy." Students examine various models of alternative tourism and explore diverse perspectives on social interaction within the tourism experience. Through this, they develop an understanding of the reflexivity of the tourism experience, reflecting on how to respect local cultural contexts during travel and how to foster responsible models of consumption and production.

 

In summary, this course explores the relationship between tourism and social change. Through perspectives such as decent work, inequality, and responsible consumption and production, it enables students to identify and reflect upon the sustainable values embedded in tourism.

Keywords

tourism studies, modernity, social changes

Contact Information

古明君
mcku@mx.nthu.edu.tw