Romancing the Wild: Cultural Dimensions of Ecotourism (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780822355830)

The worldwide development of ecotourism-including adventures such as mountain climbing and whitewater rafting, as well as more pedestrian pursuits such as birdwatching-has been extensively studied, but until now little attention has been paid to why vacationers choose to take part in what are often physically and emotionally strenuous endeavors. Drawing on ethnographic research and his own experiences working as an ecotour guide throughout the United States and Latin America, Robert Fletcher argues that participation in rigorous outdoor activities resonates with the particular cultural values of the white, upper-middle-class Westerners who are the majority of ecotourists. Navigating 13,000-foot mountain peaks or treacherous river rapids demands deferral of gratification, perseverance through suffering, and a willingness to assume risks in pursuit of continuous progress. In this way, characteristics originally cultivated for professional success have been transferred to the leisure realm at a moment when traditional avenues for achievement in the public sphere seem largely exhausted. At the same time, ecotourism provides a temporary escape from the ostensible ills of modern society by offering a transcendent "wilderness" experience that contrasts with the indoor, sedentary, mental labor characteristically performed by white-collar workers.

Author: Robert Fletcher
ISBN-10: 0822355833
ISBN-13: 9780822355830
Publisher: Duke University Press
Language: English
Published: 03/12/2014
Pages: 264
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 9.20h x 6.20w x 0.80d

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 12/01/2013 pg. 115