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Help me graduate peeeeppps!
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| xxhanxx |
Hello,
Im, I'm a student in the Tourism Management Program at Capilano University in Vancouver BC. As part of my graduating research paper, I'm doing a survey on recreational drug use while traveling.
In a nut shell, my research paper talks about the motivators behind travel destination choices and how drug use is incorporated into their decisions. also talks about the culture behind it!
its a fun subject and i hope u guys could help me out!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/marginaltourism
if you guys have any questions on the paper I will gladly answer.
Thanks
JohnT |
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| Joss Weatherby |
| Does traveling through time count? :conf: |
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| Sushipunk |
| How long will the survey take? If it's really long, then sorry, I can't be bothered :p |
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| xxhanxx |
@sushipunk LOL.... time traveling, the brain is quite a powerfull thing huh :P
@joss nah... like 10 questions. not that long at all. 3 - 5 mins? |
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| xxhanxx |
| if u guys have like 5mins to waste and want to know what im writing about pm me and i'll send the essay to you. |
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| xxhanxx |
Drug Tourism
Drug tourism is defined by Valdez and Sifaneck (1997) as "a phenomenon by which persons become attracted to a particular location because of the accessibility of licit or illicit drugs and related services." The above definition is further modified by Natan Uriely (2005) to include both tourist that are attracted to a particular location because of his/her previous knowledge about the accessibility of drugs and tourist who become aware of the accessibility of drugs only during their stay in a particular location.
This phenomenon can be observed in many different areas of the world such as Netherlands which is known for its liberal drug polices which attracts many foreign tourist from all over the world for the consumption of cannabis; youths attending electronic dance parties around the United Kingdom where consumption of amphetamines are common(Sellars 1998); Tourist seeking to experience a different culture by consuming hallucinogenic drugs in the Amazon (de Rios 1994); Americans crossing the border to Mexico to purchase prescript drugs (Valdez 1997) and drifter style tourist who settle upon the beaches of Goa, India and Koh Phangan, Thailand(Westerhausen 2002).
Drug User Typology
In Cohen's well-established phenomenological typology of tourist experience, where different type of people will thrive for different modes of tourist experiences (Cohen 1979). Cohen's 5 typology and with the recently added typology by Nathan (2002), attempts to classify the different tourist experiences which ranges from tourist in pursuit of mere pleasure to tourist in search of meaningful experience. The 6 typology is based on the notion of searching for "center" where center refers to a zone of sacred moral and values.
Typology 1 "Recreational mode"
These tourist experiences are associated with pursuit of superficial pleasure. These tourists are taking a break from their normal life's stresses as a form of mental/physical rejuvenation. Although these tourist that are engaged in these type of activity, they are attached to the center of their own society and are not in search of another "center".
Typology 2 "Diversionary mode"
These tourist experiences are associated with mere pleasure without any center as well. However, unlike recreational mode where they find their regular life's as meaningful, diversionary mode perceive their life as meaningless. These Diversionary mode tourists are people who escape from the boredom of their routine life by pursuing meaningless pleasure through superficial activities.
Typology 3 "Experiential mode"
These tourist experiences are associated with a quest for authenticity. They are in search for meaning but nothing more; similarly to window shopping. This type of tourist likes observing the "authentic life" of others without any attempt to convert or even engage in their life
Typology 4 "experimental mode"
It refers to travelers who do want to participate in the authentic life of others. These tourists are not attached to any center of their lives and are in an experimental mode to test out different centers that might appeal to them. In the analogy of a shopper, unlike the latter, this shopper is actually trying out new cloths but not purchasing it. Similar to diversionary mode, they are not committed to any center. However, they are in search for meaning. Cohen (1979) suggested that users might engage with mysticism and drugs when in the process of searching of meaning.
Typology 5 "existential mode"
It refers to travelers who have adopted an "elective center" that is culturally and geographically external to their own society. Although these individuals live their life where they deemed themselves an outcast spiritually, they often travel to their "elective center" to recharge their spirituality.
Typology 6 "humanistic mode"
As mentioned earlier, a sixth mode of tourist experiences was recently added by Uriely (2002) to classify those tourist who may be involve with more than one center. These travellers might travel in the experiential, experimental or existential modes without being alienated from their own society's culture.
The 6 typology above was used by Uriely (2005) to analyze and classify the drug users in the context of tourism. These drug tourist, such as US students on spring vacation (Josiam 1998), British vacationers at Ibiza (Bellis, Hale, Bennett, Chaudry, and Kilfoyle 2000), and youth attending dance parties in the UK (Sellars 1998) travel to consume drugs in pursuit of mere pleasure falls into the "recreational mode" and "Diversionary mode" of experience. The difference between recreational mode and diversionary mode is that the latter doesn’t feel alienated from their everyday life where diversionary mode of tourist feels some sort of estrangement. Most of these tourists from these 2 modes tended to use drugs before their journey as part of their ordinary leisure activities (Natan 2005).
Drug tourist in pursuit of meaningful experience falls into the other 4 modes of experience: Experiential mode; experimental mode; existential mode; and humanistic mode. These centers that they seek in a culture external from their own can be classified into three headings:
(1) Local culture associated with visited destination
Travellers who are looking for an authentic culture to experience sometimes expose themselves to mysticism and drug consumption in order to experience this ‘authentic’ culture. For example, European and American tourist travel to the Amazon jungles to take part in their rituals and acculturize themselves to the local culture. Often, this process involves consuming a brew of psychedelic plants called Ayahusca prepared by local shamans followed by rituals in search for an authentic personal experience. However, these native healers are in fact often local drug dealers disguised as shamans (de Rios 1994).
(2) Subcultures that emerge around particular drugs such as cannabis or peyote
For instance, users of cannabis and hash may share certain goals, values, practices and lifestyles that surround this subculture. Amsterdam is a great place for Cannabis users as they feature a wide variety of attractions based on this subculture, there are coffee shops, smart shops, home-grow shops and the Cannabis Cup competition to cater to this subculture. Unlike the ‘center’ above, these center is not defined by its geographical location, but by its nature of the drug it selves.
(3) Alternative subcultures, such as new age rave.
This alternative subculture spans over territory thus not limiting to a certain location. This is due to globalization which lessens the importance of territory as a factor of cultural distinctions. Rave-related gatherings which involves to dancing to electronic sounds of “trance” music combined with usage of various drugs such as LSD, Amphetamines and Ecstasy are hosted by various destinations across different natural settings, climate and countries. Major parties like Amnesia in Netherlands, Summer love in Germany, and full moon parties in Koh Phangan are advertise on the internet and marketed to these type of pleasure seekers and center seekers of this subculture (Westerhausen 2002).
Licensed for Thrills
Drug use in the context of tourism is considered a deviant form of activity. When consuming drugs, users put one selves’ physical and mental health at risk. Also, their reputation might get tarnish and users might violate national and international drug laws. In the recent study by done Belhassen(2005), he utilizes Hirschi's theory for the works of his paper on 'Cannabis Usage in Tourism ' claims that people are naturally attracted to deviant behaviour. However, the fear from social scrutiny deters us from acting upon such 'temptations'. So what is it so enticing about risk taking in the context of tourism? Sheilds (1992) refers to tourist related spaces, such as beach side destinations, as "liminal zones" where social constrains are lifted under the context of tourism and of relative anonymity and freedom from community scrutiny. Once departed from their homeland and away from their regular social norms they have to albeit to, tourist feel that they have the licensed for thrills (Wickens 1997).
Another concept that Belhassen (2005) used in his paper is the concept of action spaces which was first introduced by Goffman. He uses the term action to refer to ‘the activities that are consequential, problematic and undertaken for what is felt to be their own sake’. He identifies these action spaces as casinos, pool and amusement parks. These spaces allow the individual to experiences the adventures denied in everyday life. He also mentioned that drug user’s action spaces allows for users to consume drugs such as LSD, where the experimenter uses his mind as the equipment for ‘action’.
In relation to the last concept, Featherstone(1998) coined the term “controlled-decontrolled” where it deals with the lessening control over behavioural standards in modern western culture, and therefore we have the urge to have an increasing demand for individual self control. These pressure amounted to us from living in the modern culture entices us to reserve ‘special time and places’ for role reversals in pursuit of thrills and adventures which are normally denied to us in everyday social constrain. Thus Goffman theorized that these action spaces reaffirm, by opposing the security and the reality of our everyday ‘serious life.’ (Goffman 1967)
Although drug tourists are already participating in a risky activity, their voluntary risk-taking is minimized by taking precaution perceived as less risky (Uriely 2005). The risk associated with drug tourist can be categorized into 3 forms: Legal risk, Social Risk, and Medical Risk. Users generally will restrain themselves from bringing drugs over the border even though the whole process of acquiring the drug can be a tedious one. Users also believe in the notion “untouchable tourist” they believe that the local authorities “closes one eye” to avoid jeopardizing economic benefits brought in by tourism. Users also fear the risk of being labelled as a drug user. Users love to get high but the negative connotations attached to it are great. However, they believe that whomever they meet in these parties have a mutual understanding between each other that “what happens here, stays here” as ratting them out might tarnish their reputation as well (Uriely 2005). Users are aware of the health risk related to drug consumption. Prior to consuming the drugs users research and enrich themselves with detailed knowledge about the physiological and cognitive impacts from websites like Erowid (Erowid). This practice seems to be very important to the sample of users interviewed by Uriely(2005). Common practices before consuming the drug in a foreign setting is to have prior experience of the substance before usage, or avoiding unfamiliar types while travelling. Users are also less worried about the idea of addiction. From the previous concept of “action space” “liminal zones” and “licensed for thrills” tourist travel into spaces/zones where they are licensed to do these sorts of deviant activities. And, when they leave these places, they leave their habits behind. Well, for most people |
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| Sushipunk |
Did the survey for you.
Not really a new take on Tourism though :p |
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| xxhanxx |
| quote: | Originally posted by Sushipunk
Did the survey for you.
Not really a new take on Tourism though :p |
thanks :)
i know i know... im no PHD or professor so just doing it to graduate, though i thought it was interesting to do this topic rather then Human resource practices in a hotel, or.... you get what i mean :P |
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| Sushipunk |
| quote: | Originally posted by xxhanxx
thanks :)
i know i know... im no PHD or professor so just doing it to graduate, though i thought it was interesting to do this topic rather then Human resource practices in a hotel, or.... you get what i mean :P |
No probs.
Yeah, I fully get that. Nice to throw a little bit of what you're interested in, into the mix :p
Hope the statistics go well for what you're trying to show :) |
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| xxhanxx |
| quote: | Originally posted by Sushipunk
No probs.
Yeah, I fully get that. Nice to throw a little bit of what you're interested in, into the mix :p
Hope the statistics go well for what you're trying to show :) |
thanks man :)... graduate soon yayers! |
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| Sphere City |
we dont give a mate take your somewhere else
fukin idiots |
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| KilldaDJ |
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