• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School The Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management “WE SHARE OUR TERRITORY”: RE-DEFINING SURF LOCALISM AND HUMAN TERRITORIALITY ON THE PACIFIC COAST OF NICARAGUA A Dissertation in Recreation, Park and Tourism Management by Lindsay Erin Usher 2013 Lindsay Erin Usher Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2013 The dissertation of Lindsay Erin Usher was reviewed and approved* by the following: Deborah L. Kerstetter Professor of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management Dissertation Advisor Chair of Committee Brian King Associate Professor of Geography Christine Buzinde Associate Professor of Community Resources and Development Arizona State University Jess Ponting Special Member Assistant Professor of Sustainable Tourism Director of the Center for Surf Research San Diego State University Garry Chick Professor of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management Head of the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School iii ABSTRACT Localism is a well-known issue in surf culture. It is territorial behavior whereby resident surfers exclude outsiders from a surf break through threat, intimidation or whatever other means necessary. This form of territoriality not only has negative consequences for visiting surfers, who may be excluded from surfing or injured, but for the host community as well. If a surf destination becomes known as a bad spot for localism, surfers will go elsewhere and the flow of income for tourism-dependent communities can get cut off. This is especially the case in developing countries such as Nicaragua, where remote communities are becoming less reliant on agrarian lifestyles and more reliant on tourism. The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomenon of localism, a form of human territoriality, at Popoyo Reef on the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua. This ethnographic study was conducted from May to July of 2012. The methods used included participant observation (in the surf and the community) and interviews with 74 local surfers, resident foreigners, tourists, local government officials, and Nicaraguan and foreign business owners and managers. Pictures and video of the surf and the community were also taken. I took field notes to document my participant observation and maintained a research journal of daily life. The results indicated that while localism is not a problem at Popoyo Reef, many local surfers feel a strong sense of ownership over the surf break; feelings that could be characterized as mild localism. Local surfers are willing to share their space with resident foreigners and tourists, but they want respect from the people with whom they are sharing. Several surfers had witnessed physical fights in the surf, but some had not. Surfers generally did not tell others what to do, but they would give them advice, educate them about the rules, and help other local surfers when they were learning to surf. Surfers knew the basic rules of surfing and expected others to follow them. Resident foreigners and tourists did not seem to think localism was a problem. iv Besides citing a few incidents, overall, people were very positive about the locals surfing Popoyo Reef and the encounters they had with them. There was no agreement on who local surfers considered to be “local,” but for many it was only people who had been born in the community. However, some local surfers categorized resident foreigners who had helped them and their community as “local surfers.” Tourism developers need to respond to the feelings of local surfers if they want to avoid “localism.” In this study some local surfers were frustrated by surf tour operators who disrespected them, mistreated their workers, or did not give back to the community. While they are amiable now, this could change in the future. In addition, the number of people in the water could increase locals’ need to protect their space. Many tourists know about the surf break now; hence tourist numbers will likely increase in the years to come. The destination should be monitored to see what changes take place. In an effort to extend the research on localism, future studies should be conducted in destinations located in the developed and developing world. v TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures .......................................................................................................................... vii List of Tables ........................................................................................................................... viii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. ix Chapter 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 Literature Review ............................................................................................................. 5 Territorialization....................................................................................................... 5 Territoriality ............................................................................................................. 10 Territoriality and Tourism ........................................................................................ 15 Surfing and Surf Tourism ......................................................................................... 16 Surfing and Localism ............................................................................................... 18 Purpose ............................................................................................................................. 21 Study Context: Nicaragua ................................................................................................ 22 Las Salinas ............................................................................................................... 25 Study Background ............................................................................................................ 32 Methods ............................................................................................................................ 33 Pilot Test .................................................................................................................. 33 Sampling and Data Collection .................................................................................. 34 Data Analysis ........................................................................................................... 38 Positioning the Researcher ....................................................................................... 41 Chapter 2 Putting the “local” in localism: Surfer identities and territorialization of the surf zone ........................................................................................................................... 45 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 45 Surf Tourism .................................................................................................................... 48 Localism ........................................................................................................................... 50 Identity and Territorialization .......................................................................................... 53 Methods ............................................................................................................................ 54 Data Collection ......................................................................................................... 55 Data Analysis ........................................................................................................... 56 The Researcher ......................................................................................................... 57 Study Site ......................................................................................................................... 59 Findings ............................................................................................................................ 61 Defining Locals ........................................................................................................ 61 Identity in the Surf Zone .......................................................................................... 65 Discussion and Conclusion .............................................................................................. 68 Chapter 3 Re-defining Localism: An Ethnography of Human Territoriality in the Surf ......... 74 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 74 Surfing and Surf Tourism ................................................................................................ 76 vi Territoriality ..................................................................................................................... 79 Tourism and Territoriality ........................................................................................ 82 Localism: Territoriality of the Surf Zone ................................................................. 84 Methods ............................................................................................................................ 89 Surf Tourism in Las Salinas,

Load more

  150

Copy Link