Gay and Lesbian Parented Families: Travel Motivations and Destination Choice
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GAY AND LESBIAN PARENTED FAMILIES: TRAVEL MOTIVATIONS AND DESTINATION CHOICE RODRIGO LUCENA DE MELLO A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Brighton for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy March 2016 University of Brighton This page is intentionally left blank. ii ABSTRACT The aim of this Ph.D. thesis is to contribute to a critical understanding of lesbian and gay parented families in relation to their travel motivations and destination choice. While these families have gained increased visibility particularly in Western societies, they are still largely neglected in tourism research. Thus, this thesis helps fill a three-fold gap in academic scholarship. Firstly, it adds to knowledge about gay and lesbian tourism, thereby challenging the heteronormativity that dominates tourism research. Secondly, it helps fill the lacuna about family travel as tourism studies mainly emphasise individual choices and largely neglect the perspectives of the family as a decision-making unit. Thirdly, it helps complete the gap in tourism research about families whose configurations do not fit the heteronormative model, namely, the ‘mother-father-children’ trinomial. In line with the interpretivist paradigm and phenomenological strategy adopted, qualitative interviews were utilised as the data collection method. Twenty-two interviews were held, involving sixteen mothers, thirteen fathers and six children. Findings reveal the multiple significances of holidays for these families. Family tourism is prompted by a search for escape, familiarity and novelty while forging and enhancing multiple levels of connections and reconnections. Holidays are also opportunities to construct and strengthen family identity, with the rituals and memories they create helping preserve the past and guarantee the future of the family unit. While holiday decisions prioritise children’s needs, they are jointly made between partners. Moreover, on family holidays, gay and lesbian parents minimise the role of sexuality, which is ‘left to the background’ of other identities; yet, sexuality impacts on destination avoidance. Sexuality-related shame can further cause lesbigay parents to shun social interaction on holiday iii and / or avoid gay-centred destinations due to a concern of exposing children to demonstrations of ‘gayness.’ This thesis offers several unique contributions to knowledge. It demonstrates same-sex parented families are, with regard to their holiday motivations and choices, more similar than different from the ‘traditional’ heteronormative family studied in the past. This contributes to extending the understanding of the family in tourism research. In addition, it reveals how gay and lesbian parents’ somewhat paradoxical relationship with their sexualities informs their families’ travel choices. In doing so, this thesis adds to knowledge about the influence of pride / shame in tourism studies. It also highlights these families’ desire to blend in and reinforce their ‘averageness’ rather than difference in relation to heteronormative families. This finding contributes to an understanding of the ‘assimilationist’ nature of same-sex parented families. Finally, further contribution to research on family tourism stems from the new and unique light this study sheds on the interplay between holidays, togetherness and family identity. Key Words Gay and lesbian parented families – travel motivation – destination choice – family tourism – pride / shame iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables viii List of Figures ix Acknowledgments x Declaration xii Publications Originating from this Thesis xiii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1 1.1. Research Context 1 1.2. Definition of Key Terms Used in the Study 6 1.3. Research Rationale 12 1.4. Research Aim and Objectives 14 1.5. A Brief Note on Positionality, Reflexivity and Voice 16 1.6. Thesis Structure 18 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 21 2.1. Travel Motivations and Destination Choice 21 2.1.1. Travel Motivations 21 2.1.2. Destination Choice 33 2.1.3. Destination Avoidance 36 2.1.4. Travel Motivations and Destination Choice of Lesbians and Gay Men 40 2.2. Family Tourism 47 2.2.1. The Importance of Family Tourism 47 2.2.2. Changes in the Family 50 2.2.3. Holiday Decision-Makers in the Family Unit 53 2.2.4. The Influence of Children in Family Decisions 57 2.2.5. Family Travel Motivations 59 2.3. Gay and Lesbian Parented Families 64 2.3.1. The Place of Lesbian and Gay Parented Families in a 64 Heteronormative World 2.3.2. Challenges Faced by Gay and Lesbian Parented Families 68 2.3.3. Comparative Studies between Lesbigay and Heterosexual Parented Families 73 2.4. Summary of the Literature Review and Presentation of Research Questions 79 v CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY AND METHODS 85 3.1. Research Philosophy 87 3.1.1. Ontologies and Epistemologies 87 3.1.2. Paradigms 90 3.1.3. Strategy: The Use of Phenomenology 97 3.2. Research Methods and Process 101 3.2.1. Methods 101 3.2.2. Data Collection 109 3.2.3. Data Analysis 119 3.2.4. Ethical Considerations 121 3.2.5. Trustworthiness 125 3.2.6. Reflexivity and Positionality 127 CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS 134 4.1. Travel Motivations 136 4.1.1. Relaxing and Taking a Break from Routine 136 4.1.2. Spending Time Together and Connecting 138 4.1.3. Introducing Children to Education, Culture and Physical Activities 141 4.1.4. Taking a Break from Parental Duties 142 4.1.5. Visiting and Meeting the Extended Family 144 4.2. Destination Choice 146 4.2.1. Family-Friendly Destinations and Children’s Needs 147 4.2.2. Restrictions to Destination Choice 148 4.2.3. Destination Choice, Sexuality and Brighton 152 4.3. Family Holiday Decisions 154 4.3.1. Holiday Choices as Joint Decisions between Partners 155 4.3.2. Participation of Children in Family Holiday Decisions 158 4.4. Visibility and Social Interaction 160 4.4.1. Visibility on Holiday 160 4.4.2. Social Interaction on Holiday 163 4.4.3. The Influence of Children on Visibility and Social Interaction 165 CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 170 5.1. Gay and Lesbian Parented Family: Similarity and Difference 171 5.1.1. The Multiple Significances of Family Holidays 172 5.1.2. Construction and Reinforcement of Family Identity 184 5.1.3. The Search for the ‘Perfect Family Portrait’ 197 vi 5.1.4. Gay and Lesbian Parented Family Holidays: Sexuality as the Difference 208 5.2. Underlying Expressions of Pride / Shame in Gay and Lesbian Parented Family Holidays 209 5.2.1. Expressions of a ‘Fractured’ Community 213 5.2.2. The Discomfort of Being ‘Out’ 219 CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION 239 6.1. Review of the Study and Considerations on Qualitative Research 239 6.2. Contributions to Knowledge 246 6.3. Practical Implications 250 6.4. Future Research Considerations 252 GLOSSARY 256 BIBLIOGRAPHY 258 APPENDICES Appendix A: Interview Questions 298 Appendix B: Leaflet 299 Appendix C: Interview Transcription 300 Appendix D: Reflective Remarks 314 Appendix E: Research Diary Entry 325 Appendix F: Contact Summary Sheet 328 Appendix G: Examples of Excerpts and Initial Codes 331 Appendix H: Progression of Themes through Data Analysis 336 vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Crompton’s (1979) travel motives 27 Table 2: Interviewees’ profile 114 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: The structure of methodological constructs 86 Figure 2: Methodological positions and choices in this study 108 ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It is part of academic folklore that doing a Ph.D. is like riding a roller coaster. My Ph.D. journey has been no different, with days (or months) of enjoyment and excitement sometimes followed by days (or months) of doubts and apprehension. However, several people helped make this process smoother and definitely less painful. Without them, I would certainly not have been able to complete this thesis and achieve what I have. I would like, first and foremost, to thank my family. My research would have simply not existed had my parents, Gilberto and Sandra, not encouraged me, in a crucial moment of my life, to quit my career in the industry to pursue my dream of becoming an academic. I know they followed, from across the Atlantic, my progress through the Ph.D. journey with anxiety and exhilaration that surpassed my own. Mum and Dad, I am really privileged for being able to count on you. I hope my study does justice to your incredible support. A big ‘thank you’ also to my brother Adriano and my sister Gisele, who were so understanding and supportive throughout my Ph.D. process. During my research, I constantly reminisced about our family holidays when we were children. I particularly remember with affection our road trips to the beach, during which we sang along to Mum and Dad’s endless collection of boleros. I miss that so much. Of course, I simply could not have done this without my brilliant husband, Alan. ‘Hun’, thank you for your patience when I would not stop talking about my epistemological and ontological positions, my findings and my positionality (among other things). Thank you for coping with the mess I made at home with books, articles and interview transcripts scattered in every single space of the house. Thank you for so selflessly ‘sharing’ me with my Ph.D. and accepting not having me around as much as we both would have liked. x Thank you also to my amazing supervisors, Clare and Nigel, who are the very reason why I am at the University of Brighton doing what I love to do. Nigel and Clare, your feedback sessions helped me develop my academic skills in a way I did not believe would be possible. Thank you for doing your work so diligently, responsibly and brilliantly. Thank you for constantly challenging, encouraging, inspiring and believing in me. I hope to become a Ph.D. supervisor one day and you will always be my role models.