- Title
- Cultural learning or learning culture?: Backpacker experiences with Aboriginal culture and the implications for volunteer tourism
- Creator
- Young, Tamara; Lyons, Kevin
- Relation
- CAUTHE 2011 National Conference: Tourism: Creating a Brilliant Blend. Proceedings of the CAUTHE 2011 National Conference: Tourism: Creating a Brilliant Blend (Adelaide, S.A. 8-11 February, 2011)
- Relation
- http://cauthe.org/services/conferences/conference-2011
- Publisher
- School of Management, University of South Australia
- Resource Type
- conference paper
- Date
- 2011
- Description
- This paper presents findings from a qualitative study which examined cultural learning activities undertaken by a sample of 28 backpackers in the Northern Territory and Queensland who sought out and engaged with Aboriginal culture as part of their independent travels in Australia. Although the desire to learn about Aboriginal culture was unanimous, the activities pursued by these backpackers for that learning were largely devoid of direct encounters with Aboriginal people. The findings reveal that the backpackers interviewed were aware that learning about Aboriginal culture could only occur from an 'outsider's' perspective. Conversely, cultural learning from an 'insider's' perspective was recognised by the backpackers as primarily achievable through time spent living and interacting with Aboriginal communities. The paper concludes with an exploration of the implications of this study for the emerging area of volunteer tourism that has been promoted as a vehicle for accessing deeper cultural learning opportunities. These findings contribute to research on the desire of backpackers for engagement with indigenous cultures, and the growth of alternative forms of tourism that provide young people with opportunities for these cross-cultural encounters.
- Subject
- cultural learning; backpackers; volunteer tourism; Aboriginal Australia
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1066460
- Identifier
- uon:18173
- Identifier
- ISBN:9780987050700
- Language
- eng
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