Current Issues in Tourism
Editor: C. Michael Hall (Department of Management, College of Business and Economics, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand) and Chris Cooper (Foundation Professor of Tourism, University of Queensland, Australia) Michael and Chris are joint editor of the book series Aspects of Tourism. Reviews Editor John Jenkins (University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia)
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Volume: 7 Number: 1 Page: 1–19
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Resisting Rationalisation in the Natural and Academic Life-world: Critical Tourism Research or Hermeneutic Charity?
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Tazim B. Jamal and Jeff Everett
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This paper encourages and challenges tourism researchers struggling in the liminal zones between traditional modernist and critical or postmodernist (non-traditional) research. Using natural area destinations
and concepts from critical theory (e.g. Habermas, 1978), it is argued that paralleling the instrumental use and rationalisation of natural areas and everyday life is the rationalisation of the academic
research world by (post)positivistic paradigms. These rationalisations are resisted by critical and 'postmodern' paradigms that, ironically, can also contribute to placing the life-world of natural destinations
'under erasure'. So a more diversified and reflexive research praxis is called for, particularly, (1) critical approaches to complement functionalist research orientations, (2) understanding one's own ontological
and epistemological assumptions regarding the natural world, and (3) hermeneutic charity that softens the emancipatory gaze of the critical researcher. Yellowstone National Park is used as an example to
show how a critical narrative interprets these natural spaces as cultural, political and economic texts mediated by a number of scientific, promotional and symbolic tools serving a diverse range of interests.
Keywords: CRITICAL THEORY, RATIONALISATION, NATURE TOURISM RESEARCH, YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, RESEARCHER'S ASSUMPTIONS, ACADEMIC COLONISATION
© Multilingual Matters 2004
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