Writing Assignment Overview:
- Length: Write a 2-page paper.
- Style: Adhere to MLA style guidelines.
- Content:
- Comparative Analysis: Compare and contrast, through synthesis, how Azuma and Adorno characterize and critique the divisions between “serious” and “frivolous” culture.
- Building on Frameworks: Discuss how Azuma builds on and goes beyond Adorno’s framework through his analysis of terrorism and tourism.
- Support with Examples: Use specific examples and quotations from the readings to support your analysis.
- Comparative Analysis: Compare and contrast, through synthesis, how Azuma and Adorno characterize and critique the divisions between “serious” and “frivolous” culture.
- Building on Frameworks: Discuss how Azuma builds on and goes beyond Adorno’s framework through his analysis of terrorism and tourism.
- Support with Examples: Use specific examples and quotations from the readings to support your analysis.
Key Considerations for Analysis:
- Characterization of Cultures: How does each author characterize “serious” vs. “frivolous” culture? What traits are associated with each?
- Social and Political Implications: What social and political implications do Azuma and Adorno argue arise from this division?
- Analysis of Terrorism and Tourism: How does Azuma’s reflection on tourism and terrorism challenge or support Adorno’s perspective? What examples does he give?
- A New Approach to Understanding Tourism: What new approach does Azuma call for to understand tourism, and how does this support or undermine Adorno’s theory of popular culture?
Additional Submission Instructions:
- Screenshots for Quotations: When quoting directly from Azuma and Adorno, attach screenshots of the specific sections you are quoting from. This is to ensure accurate representation and sourcing of the material.
- File Format: Submit your paper and screenshots in the specified digital format (e.g., PDF, DOCX).
- Labeling Screenshots: Clearly label each screenshot with the page number and paragraph from the respective texts.
- Screenshot Tutorials: For Windows Users;Links to an external site.
- Screenshot Tutorials: For Chromebook UsersLinks to an external site.
Reading Notes for Azuma
Philosophy of the Tourist, Hiroki Azuma
Tourist Perspective in Philosophy
Publication of “Weak Links” (2014)
- Classification System: Villager, Nomad, Tourist.
- Tourist Perspective: Belonging and visiting communities.
- Unexpected Acclaim: Lifestyle Choice and Self-Improvement.
Inspirations and Acknowledgements
- Masao Yamaguchi: ‘Centre and Periphery’.
- Kōjin Karatani: Communities and ‘Other’.
Reinterpreting Philosophy’s Essence
Essential vs. Inessential
- Old Themes, New Styles: Focus on style over essence.
- Derrida’s Perspective: Essence and Non-Essence.
Linking Concepts
- Literature and Politics with Tourism: Commercial term ‘tourism’.
The Power of Terminology
Nuance in Language
- Importance of Terms: “Tourists” vs. “the Other”.
Societal Interpretations of Tourism
Political and social Changes (2016–2017)
- Global Events: Brexit, Trump Presidency.
- Changing Attitudes: Nationalism and ‘Other’ Respect.
Shift in Approach
- Emphasis on ‘Tourist’: audience tired of respecting others.
Philosophical Underpinnings of Tourism
Author’s Position
- Background: philosophy, not the tourism industry.
Abstraction vs. Concreteness
- Focus on abstract concepts, not practices.
Global Influence of Tourism
The tourism industry boom
- Government Investment: Japan’s focus on tourism.
Global Increase in Tourist Numbers
- Surge in Tourists: Particularly in Japan.
Modern Interpretations of ‘Tourism’
Challenges in Defining Tourism
- Japanese and UNWTO Definitions: Broad and Formal.
Etymological Examination
- Japanese ‘Kankō’ and English ‘Tour’: conceptual exploration.
The Advent of Modern Tourism
Emergence of Modern Tourism
- Differentiation: mass appeal and consumer power.
Pioneers and Thought Leaders in Philosophy
- Masao Yamaguchi, Kōjin Karatani, Jacques Derrida, Jürgen Habermas, Richard Rorty, John Urry, and Jonas Larsen.
Philosophical Engagements with the ‘Other’
- Habermas vs. Rorty vs. Derrida: Perspectives on the ‘Other’.
- Advancing Discussion: Philosophy and Tourism.
Tourist Gaze and the Development of Tourism
Emergence of Leisure Travel
- Social Phenomenon: Industrial working-class England.
Rise of the Seaside Resort
- Brighton in the 1840s: medical to leisure transition.
Pioneering Mass Travel
- Thomas Cook: First group tours, tourism infrastructure.
Building a Travel Empire
- Cook’s Business: Global expansion, consumer class.
Vision and Motivation
- Cook’s Motivation: Enlightenment, social progress.
Tourism and Its Underpinnings
- Tied to mass society are consumerism and industrial innovation.
Theoretical Explorations
- Urry and Larsen’s “The Tourist Gaze”: Postmodernism, Cultural Studies.
Envisioning a Global Perspective
- Globalism Framework: Homogenization, Standardization.
Beyond Necessity
- Framework Beyond Need: Travel for chance or contingency.
Challenging the Status Quo
- Deconstructing Views: Positive philosophical stance.
Critical Evaluation of Tourism
- Shift in Tourism Studies: Insights from Diverse Disciplines.
Philosophical Horizons of Tourism
- 21st Century: Deep inquiry into tourism’s significance.
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