Dark Tourism
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Texas A&M Repository DARK TOURISM: UNDERSTANDING VISITOR MOTIVATION AT SITES OF DEATH AND DISASTER A Thesis by STEPHANIE MARIE YUILL Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE December 2003 Major Subject: Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences DARK TOURISM: UNDERSTANDING VISITOR MOTIVATION AT SITES OF DEATH AND DISASTER A Thesis by STEPHANIE MARIE YUILL Submitted to Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Approved as to style and content by: ____________________________ _____________________________ Tazim B. Jamal James H. Gramann (Chair of Committee) (Member) ____________________________ _____________________________ Sylvia A. Grider Joseph T. O’Leary (Member) (Head of Department) December 2003 Major Subject: Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences iii ABSTRACT Dark Tourism: Understanding Visitor Motivation at Sites of Death and Disaster. (December 2003) Stephanie Marie Yuill, B.A., University of Waterloo Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Tazim Jamal People are fascinated with death and disaster. One simply has to watch traffic slow to a crawl when passing a car accident to understand this. However, this fascination goes beyond the side of a highway and enters the realm of tourism. Today, numerous sites of death and disaster attract millions of visitors from all around the world: Auschwitz-Birkenau, Anne Frank’s House, Graceland, Oklahoma City, Gettysburg, Vimy Ridge, the Somme, Arlington National Cemetery. The list grows each year as exhibited by the recent creation of an apartheid museum in Johannesburg, South Africa. Due to the increasing popularity of this tourism product, a small number of academics have begun studying the phenomenon. Leading the field are Lennon and Foley who labeled it Dark Tourism, Seaton who coined the term Thanatourism, and Rojek who developed the concept of Black Spots. However, despite ongoing study, there has been a paucity in understanding what actually motivates individuals to sites of dark tourism. Yet understanding motivation is imperative, particularly given the subject and sensitivity of these sites. Some are slowly decaying, and visitors play a large role in iv their preservation. Subsequently, without proper management, visitor influxes can further deteriorate sites or induce friction with the locals. Knowledge then, also provides administrators the necessary tools to properly manage the varying stakeholders. Although many feel an interest in death and disaster simply stems from morbidity, the range of factors involved extend from an interest in history and heritage to education to remembrance. To begin this study, a list of possible motivations was compiled. Then, to get a better comprehension of these motivations, visitors to the Holocaust Museum Houston were surveyed as a case study. As a commodified, synthetic site of death and atrocity, the museum fits the definitions of a dark tourism site as established by lead academics. Therefore, by asking visitors to the museum what motivated them to the site, the results will hopefully give some acumen into the wants and needs of certain stakeholders. Finally, this research sought to discover if motivation at the museum could shed light on motivation to other sites of dark tourism. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am blessed in life to literally have too many people to thank. The love, support, encouragement, inspiration, belief, and energy I have received from friends and family have carried me from the depths of graduate school to the zenith of graduation. This work was not developed and written by an individual; it was created by a series of events and persons over the course of almost 100 years. I must begin with my grandparents, whose experiences in World Wars I and II gave birth to this thesis. Their experiences, memories, and stories drew me to the topic. Thanks Nan and Gag, for the knowledge and passion you so unwittingly gave to me. This passion for history had another source: my mom. Thanks Mom. You are not only a source of passion for history; you are source of inspiration. I could not have done this without your support and love. You too, John. And Gramma and Grandpa B. and their love and support and encouragement. Trevor, words cannot express my gratitude for simply having you in my life. Three years is a long time to let someone go to achieve a goal, and you did it with grace, understanding, and most importantly, pride. You are amazing and I love you. As an only child, I have never forsaken friends for family, as my friends are my family. Cyndy and Sue, I simply cannot thank you enough. You are my sunshine and my biggest fans. Long live the M.A.S! The only way I can show my love is to NOT suggest a road trip in a un-airconditioned vehicle. Josie: thank Goddess for kindred souls and bathtubs. Joe, Cynthia, Chris, Greg, and Jerry: how your insanity keeps me sane is beyond me, but I love you guys. Foy’eh and family: it is your insanity that inspires me. vi Lian (and family): my champagne-drinking-sock-wearing-editing friends, you ignite my creativity. The Young-Sinclair clans, Kelly et al. and the Dance family: thank you for allowing me into the folds of your family (and for providing me with so many future babysitters). Carla et al. and Teresa et al.: you are proof that friendship endures. Mama Goodall: editor extraordinaire. Now this constitutes a thank you. Lavender Wilson: you are now officially an MSAss. To the wonderful people at Krebs, the Charcoal Steakhouse, and Sibbald Point Provincial Park: a laugh (and a glass of wine) a day keeps the stress at bay. I am also blessed that the tides of friendship drift from foreign shores. Kate (and Chris), I do not know how you make someone feel so loved and cherished from so far away, but you do. Add this to a long list of things we have survived together. Mich, your purity and heart of gold are things I will treasure always. Victoria, you taught me to pursue a dream. And to the rest of the Sirocco gang, wherever you are, it was a time in life when everything just fit. Thanks for enriching my life. A master’s degree certainly is not accomplished without the empathy, understanding, and encouragement of fellow graduate students. Lindo, HEB, Stacy, Mama D, Emily, Pony, Courtney, Carter, Kathy, Pumpkin and the rest of the wonderful students in RPTS. Please explain how we got degrees between camping excursions, kolache eating contests, wine and cheese parties, Twister games, Thanksgiving dinners, and strolls down the streets of Charleston. We are amazing. In fact, the entire RPTS department is amazing, my oh-so patient committee in particular. Drs. Sylvia Grider and Jim Gramann, thanks for waiting. Tazim, thanks for vii your unwavering belief in me. It got me through many dark hours. Dr. Amanda Stronza: surprise and thanks. And Prof. David Woodcock, you deserve an honorary office over in Francis Hall. Thanks for your guidance. A special thank you to the ladies (and gentleman) who did the hard work behind this paper: keeping me in line. To Marguerite, Vivian, Tina, Wilma, Doinan, and David. No degree coming out of this department would be possible without you. Finally, a huge thank you to the staff and volunteers at the Holocaust Museum Houston for letting a lowly graduate student come out of nowhere and use their museum as a case study. And of course thank you to all the participants in this study who so kindly donated time and effort to my cause. You have unwittingly provided me a direction in life. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................... viii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................. xii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................... xiii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction to Study ....................................................... 1 1.2 Purpose of Study ............................................................. 3 1.3 Importance of Study ........................................................ 5 1.4 Organization of Thesis .................................................... 8 II REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 2.1 Definitions ...................................................................... 10 2.1.1 Dark Tourism ...................................................... 10 2.1.2 Thanatourism ....................................................... 11 2.1.3 Black Spots .......................................................... 13 2.1.4 History and Heritage ............................................ 13 2.2 Introduction to Literature Review .................................... 14 2.3 Post-modernism .............................................................. 15 2.4 Cultural Values ............................................................... 27 2.4.1 Sanctification ....................................................... 28 2.4.2 Designation .......................................................... 29 2.5 Cultural Values and the Holocaust ................................... 37 2.5.1 Understanding the Holocaust