I am a tourist studying tourism in Jordan

With this blog I wish to take a deeper look at tourist phenomena and their meaning in light of social study theories. My reflections in the blog entries aim at investigating the tourist engaging in foreignness, the tourist-local encounter and their respective roles, the touristic (re-)presentation of culture, and the aspects that shape the tourist experience.

The wider theoretical background hereby is postmodern thinking that embraces plurality of knowledge and remains critical of one-sided interpretations and “rationally” established meanings.[1] As social constructivism demonstrates: Meanings to objects of the social world are constructed by people for which their interactions play a significant role.[2] Through critical investigations, taken-for-granted meanings can be deconstructed, and the dogma of universal truths abandoned. Since an overriding postmodern remark on subjectivity holds true for my entire blog, I want to emphasize that I am blogging out of my own eyes.

Who am I as a blogger? I am a tourist studying tourism in Jordan.

There is an intriguing debate on the term tourist vs. traveler vs. visitor. The meanings of these words are socially constructed so that we associate certain images with a tourist (sometimes with a negative connotation), while the traveler enjoys a different reputation.[3] Reflecting upon the literature, it all depends on what we associate with the terms, as we are constructing meaning to them. Who do you say are you? Tourist or traveler? Ultimately, whether traveling, touring or visiting – it all suggests movement out of the daily environment. On my own terms, for this journey, I define myself as a student who travels to Jordan to dive as a tourist in the tourist industry; Hence, I am foreigner with little knowledge of how things are done in Jordan, who gladly falls into the helping hands of people working all around tourism.

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[1] Urry, John and Jonas Larsen. “Chapter 5 Changing Tourists Cultures.” The Tourist Gaze. EBSCO Publishing: eBook Academic Collection. 89-105.

[2] See a famous account on constructivism in: Alexander Wendt, 'Anarchy Is What States Make Of It: The Social Construction Of Power Politics', International Organization 46, no. 02 (1992): 391.

[3] Read more on the discussion surrounding these terms in: S. McCabe, ''Who Is A Tourist?': A Critical Review', Tourist Studies 5, no. 1 (2005): 85-106.

Tourist?

Traveler?

Visitor?