Sociology of Leisure and Tourism - Coursework Example

Sociology of leisure and tourism Introduction Tourism as a concept, which can be defined in various ways using different frameworks, originates fromthe educational journeys of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries which were called le Grand Tour, wherein the term tour means a journey from an individual’s hometown to another place, and back (Karlsson, 1994). Viewed from sociological perspective, tourism is, in simple terms, regarded as an anti-everyday activity which may concentrate on either educational and self-developing type of tourism, or on purely fun or carnival type of tourism, both of which can be practiced either in urban centers including their peripheries or in areas of natural and cultural landscapes (Ibid.). On the other hand, closely related to tourism is the concept of leisure, which is often used in the context of tourism primarily because activities that are not normally considered part of leisure time may be considered as significant touristic activities (e.g., staying at a hotel, dining in a restaurant, or travelling to a big city for shopping, etc.), and which may imply that leisure away from home provides greater leisure than when at home (Ibid.). Urry (2000, p 28) states that it is valuable in theoretical terms to consider tourism within the context of its relationship with the surrounding society, as it cannot be isolated from, and is in fact significantly dependent on the society. Karlsson (1994) confirms this by stating that the present-day society has for its building blocks the economic, political, socio-cultural and the socio-material aspects of life, and of which the economic aspect or sphere is the most significant as it also greatly influences the other social spheres. Within the economic sphere, Karlsson argues that it is not only the material resources that become commodified or commercialized, but also the immaterial ones like the tourist attractions, to which, the predominantly welfare state opposes with an emphasis on non-commercial goals such as the objective of providing free cultural and natural experiences for everyone under the Tourism for Everybody policy. The spheres of social and cultural cover mainly the affairs that are reproductive on a daily and non-daily basis like leisure trips to other places. Such spheres are being affected increasingly by economy as well as by politics, the spheres being man-made environments (e.g., urban environments and also the cultural environments) that are of significant importance for the tourism industry (Ibid.). This paper deals with tourism and leisure on a sociological perspective as affected by the trends in sociological concepts like gender and demographic changes (e.g., ageing population), with focus on the United Kingdom for the cases and samples. Leisure and tourism through sociological perspective Amador (2000,p2) states that tourism as an industry of the modern world has become a popularly known form of leisure that has features and attributes that allow investigation of it (e.g., leisure behaviours). From a sociological perspective, the study of tourism is still in its early stages with majority of the researches pertaining to tourism have been initiated by the market or the consumers themselves and not as repercussion of any human behavior theories linked to tourism (Ibid.). However, the recent years have seen various theories being developed, with the evolution of the tourism industry as one of the major economic activities of countries across the globe, most especially by the so-called developing nations which have, through time, developed their full tourism potentials and have considered the industry as their major economic driver, impinging on the various structures of society (e.g., social, economic, cultural, and environmental) (Ibid.). Sociologically speaking, leisure is generally referred to as the time when a person is given the freedom to choose his or her own activities outside any formal employments as well as outside the domestic routines (Ashley, Goodwin and Roe, 2001). On the other hand, recreation as a term refers to any set of activities that people engage in during their leisure time, which usually are in the form of sports, commercial leisure, as well as so-called passive activities like reading, surfing on the internet, watching TV, etc. Likewise, recreation can also be in the form of tourism activities like taking vacations or holidays away from home or even short trips like a day-long visit to places of attractions (Ibid.). There are various ways in the sociological arena to define the terms usually used in tourism and leisure, however, they generally differ in some little nuances but not really far too different. What is clear is that tourism and leisure involves social trends and behaviours that are affected by the various sociological aspects, like gender, demographic changes, and class, among others (Ibid.). According to the Royal Town Planning Institute ([RTPI], 2004), the United Kingdom (UK) trend has been a steady increase in the people’s leisure-related spending over the past twenty-five years, a trend which has also been changing alongside other consumption aspects as affected by: Commercial sector has taken a drastic change in its targeting, with the significant increase of the ageing population, which has consequently become the main target of the commercial sector; The household structures have significantly been changing as a consequence of the trend that more single people have become interested to engage in out-of-home activities, which the tourism sector has been taking advantage of also; The emergence of a so-called “femininisation” of leisure, which, according to sociology experts, is much more complex and complicated than it seems on the surface; and, The continual changing in the trend of the availability of free time as well as the attitudes toward free time. As people’s lifestyles continuously evolve as influenced by the various forces of the society, the availability of their free time as well as their attitude towards it have changed much. More people already seek out-of –town adventures in their renewed interest to spend their free time on what they regard as more rewarding and better quality activities. Further, other factors and emerging trends have also influences on the shaping of the tourism and leisure landscape, such as, for instance, as reported by RTPI, is that there is a growing trend of inequalities especially in the distribution of disposable incomes as well as free time between and among the different sectors and classes of society. The age-old class divide is deeply interwoven within the complex dynamic of society that it is an inevitable and always a present factor that affects such aspects as tourism and leisure which significantly has been a luxury for most struggling people to earn their living. Ashley, Goodwin and Roe (2001, p 14) also reinforce such observation, and state that there is apparently a social disruption brought about by the increased free time and too much disposable incomes but on an imbalance scale, wherein too much is given to one group in the society, but too little or almost nothing is given to the other groups. In other words, the consequences of the significantly increased spending on leisure and tourism by certain groups of people have consequently pushed for more commercialization like the conversion of lands in the rural areas for resorts and hotels to accommodate the growing demands of the industry (Ibid.). There are growing economic disparities among classes in the society, which scientists claim to be natural as classes cannot really be eliminated as fundamental element of any predominantly capitalist societies, as evidently, leisure and tourism for the higher classes of the society is way too expensive and luxurious for those at the bottom to even dream about (Ibid.). The so-called femininisation of tourism and leisure has also been full of other underlying issues and concerns as more and more women have been engaged as employees or workers in the tourism service industry, as a response to the calls for more gender-sensitive policies across industries (Ibid.). These women have, like in the nineteenth century industrialization, gone out of their homes and delegated the care for their homes and families or children as they pursue income-generating activities in the tourism service industry. Likewise, the demographic changes like the ageing population and an increase among the young adults who go out for holidays and vacations have interconnectedness in a way that with the increased ageing population, there are more old people at homes that would need the tending and care of the young generations or of the women in the households, who have now gone out and seized the pleasure and benefits of tourism. This ageing population then needs some facilities and services to take care of their needs, which eventually are also responded to by the tourism industry by creating customized facilities and services for these ageing groups (Ibid.). Conclusion Tourism and leisure is but one facet of a society’s life, and as such, mirrors the varying trends within the society. As societies evolve, so do the different aspects of society. The demographic changes, as well as the concerns on gender and class are only some of the most influential things of the society that inevitably affect the tourism industry. Read More