Suspending Reality: An Exploration of Enclaves and the Backpacker Experience

Backpacker enclaves have become important arenas for social and cultural exchange and identity formation. As customised spaces catering for visitors, they provide home comforts as well as points of contact with home for those on the road. Backpackers striving to experience something different often...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Wilson, Julie, Richards, Greg
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2008
País:España
Institución:Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)
Repositorio:O2, repositorio institucional de la UOC
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:orepositorio::170bd6b6263c4586afe1c40ff0816d1d
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10609/155027
https://doi.org/10.2167/cit371.0
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:backpacker experience
enclaves
culture shock
reversal
suspension
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spelling Suspending Reality: An Exploration of Enclaves and the Backpacker ExperienceWilson, JulieRichards, Gregbackpacker experienceenclavesculture shockreversalsuspensionBackpacker enclaves have become important arenas for social and cultural exchange and identity formation. As customised spaces catering for visitors, they provide home comforts as well as points of contact with home for those on the road. Backpackers striving to experience something different often end up surrounded by the extended familiarity of home even in the most remote destinations. This problematises concepts such as the rite de passage or culture shock, which suggest a sudden and substantial shift between home and away. The concept of suspension is put forward as an alternative model, which sees culture shock and reversal being deferred by taking refuge in the enclave, providing difference without seriously challenging the basic cultural and social norms of the visitor. The suspended experiences in traveller enclaves are neither here nor there – not here because the real experience is outside the enclave, and not there because of the familiar surroundings of the enclave. Drawing on research from Bangkok and Sydney, this paper examines the way in which the roles of hosts and guests are negotiated in enclaves. Suspended environments provide a relatively neutral space in which the cultural knowledge of the host can be offered as a gateway to the authentic experiences outside the enclave. The neutral space of the enclave also provides the locals with the opportunity to consume the exotic cultures brought by the visitors in a safe way. The enclave therefore becomes a tool for mediating cultures, so that culture confusion is avoided from both sides, although true reversal is also prevented by the constructed familiarity of the enclave.Taylor and Francis Group202620262008info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersionapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/10609/155027https://doi.org/10.2167/cit371.0reponame:O2, repositorio institucional de la UOCinstname:Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)InglésCurrent Issues in Tourism, 2008, 11(2)Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:dnet:orepositorio::170bd6b6263c4586afe1c40ff0816d1d2026-05-28T12:42:01Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Suspending Reality: An Exploration of Enclaves and the Backpacker Experience
title Suspending Reality: An Exploration of Enclaves and the Backpacker Experience
spellingShingle Suspending Reality: An Exploration of Enclaves and the Backpacker Experience
Wilson, Julie
backpacker experience
enclaves
culture shock
reversal
suspension
title_short Suspending Reality: An Exploration of Enclaves and the Backpacker Experience
title_full Suspending Reality: An Exploration of Enclaves and the Backpacker Experience
title_fullStr Suspending Reality: An Exploration of Enclaves and the Backpacker Experience
title_full_unstemmed Suspending Reality: An Exploration of Enclaves and the Backpacker Experience
title_sort Suspending Reality: An Exploration of Enclaves and the Backpacker Experience
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Wilson, Julie
Richards, Greg
author Wilson, Julie
author_facet Wilson, Julie
Richards, Greg
author_role author
author2 Richards, Greg
author2_role author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv backpacker experience
enclaves
culture shock
reversal
suspension
topic backpacker experience
enclaves
culture shock
reversal
suspension
description Backpacker enclaves have become important arenas for social and cultural exchange and identity formation. As customised spaces catering for visitors, they provide home comforts as well as points of contact with home for those on the road. Backpackers striving to experience something different often end up surrounded by the extended familiarity of home even in the most remote destinations. This problematises concepts such as the rite de passage or culture shock, which suggest a sudden and substantial shift between home and away. The concept of suspension is put forward as an alternative model, which sees culture shock and reversal being deferred by taking refuge in the enclave, providing difference without seriously challenging the basic cultural and social norms of the visitor. The suspended experiences in traveller enclaves are neither here nor there – not here because the real experience is outside the enclave, and not there because of the familiar surroundings of the enclave. Drawing on research from Bangkok and Sydney, this paper examines the way in which the roles of hosts and guests are negotiated in enclaves. Suspended environments provide a relatively neutral space in which the cultural knowledge of the host can be offered as a gateway to the authentic experiences outside the enclave. The neutral space of the enclave also provides the locals with the opportunity to consume the exotic cultures brought by the visitors in a safe way. The enclave therefore becomes a tool for mediating cultures, so that culture confusion is avoided from both sides, although true reversal is also prevented by the constructed familiarity of the enclave.
publishDate 2008
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2008
2026
2026
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion
format article
status_str acceptedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/10609/155027
https://doi.org/10.2167/cit371.0
url https://hdl.handle.net/10609/155027
https://doi.org/10.2167/cit371.0
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Current Issues in Tourism, 2008, 11(2)
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Taylor and Francis Group
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Taylor and Francis Group
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:O2, repositorio institucional de la UOC
instname:Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)
instname_str Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)
reponame_str O2, repositorio institucional de la UOC
collection O2, repositorio institucional de la UOC
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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