Dimensions of mobilities, tourism and transition of cultural hegemony: a qualitative inquiry from Sri Lanka. (2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ranasinghe, Ruwan; Li, Cheng
• Is Part Of: International journal of tourism anthropology. Volume 6:Number 1(2017)
• Page Start: 21
• Page End: 40
• Publication Date: 2017
• Subjects: cultural hegemony -- local values -- Sri Lanka -- mobilities -- tourism -- qualitative enquiry; Culture and tourism -- Periodicals; Tourism -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; 306.481905
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1759-0442

Abstract

Mobilities, encapsulating range of escalations in time and space by forming, transforming and retransforming social structures, cannot be understood in isolation. Cultural hegemony has been examined in post-colonial contexts while mobilities have been investigated conceptually, making empirical inquiries a noticeable absence. Though 'what mobilities are' have fairly been studied, why and how it occurs in tourism and cultural transformation need further examination. This theoretically motivated question led the present study of mobilities, tourism and cultural modifications. Emic and etic approaches are employed entrusting on qualitative methodology. Participants view that the dimensions of mobilities cause the modification of cultural values and spatial restructuring through mobility nodes influence on image reformation. Mobility nodes encourage movement of people resulting to drastic alterations in their mundane and consequently in value systems. Mobility drives revolving around capital, geopolitics and envisioned manipulations of cultural processes cause transition of cultural hegemony from former colonial powers to emerging Asian supremacies.