Dear colleagues
We are pleased to announce the launch of a new ATLAS SIG namely Tourism and Embodiment (TESIG). The rationale, aim and objectives are detailed at the end of this message. In order to formerly launch the SIG we are planning an event here in Liverpool for 7/8th November 2011: A one and half day symposium on the theme of 'Tourism and Embodiment : The state of the art' with Professor Tim Edensor and Dr Kevin Meethan as Keynote speakers. We hope that you will be able to join us and to this end we invite expressions of interest for presentations of papers. Abstracts of no more than 300 words should be submitted to ATLAS by 30/09/2011.
Rationale: The interrelations between tourism, tourist practices and embodiment have grown in significance in terms of their contribution to the field of tourism studies to the extent that they can no longer be viewed as a critique of the discipline but as central to it. Embodiment is a significant and ever developing area of study that has become more prominent with the emergence of critical literatures of tourism studies, anthropology, sociology and other disciplines. Notions of an experience economy and the engagement of the senses in heritage and other touristic interpretation and encounters indicate the potential importance of informed discussion about embodiment to the tourism and leisure industries. The idea of embodiment encompasses a number of key areas of both scholarly activity and touristic practice, some with significant heritage in the social sciences and humanities. These include, but are not limited to, performance, the social body, gender, identities and experience. Tourism and embodiment also embraces, draws upon and contributes to current and emerging theoretical critique in tourism studies at the same time as being distinct within such a critique and having a more specific focus than for example critical approaches or mobilities paradigms.
Aims: The main aim of the SIG would be to provide an umbrella for networking on an international scale for those interested in this area of tourism studies either in terms of current work and knowledge or for those interested in developing their work in these areas.
Objectives:
To foster international collaboration between scholars, researchers and practitioners concerning tourism and embodiment.
To develop a focus on this area of study within ATLAS and the academic tourism environment.
To exchange ideas and encourage scholarly activity in this area of tourism research.
To co-ordinate and publish edited collections of material generated by the group.
To encourage the exchange of best practice relating to learning and teaching about issues of embodiment within tourism studies.
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