Post #14, Comments on “Devil’s Bargains”
Post #14, Comments on “Devil’s Bargains” (for 5 Dec seminar)
I also commented on Carrie’s site and Dan's site .
Just flew in from Germany, and boy are my…oh, you’ve heard that one? Well, it is 4am on my biological clock, so it seemed like a humorous blog opening.
I finished up Devil’s Bargains on the flight back tonight, and I’m sorry to say that I’m unimpressed. I agree with the bulk of this week’s blog comments (too long, excessively ornate word selections, no real thesis, repetitive, etc.) so I’ll just comment on what I liked about the book.
Rothman’s statement (receiving the “duh” award from Dan) is that the initial development of a tourist destination is soon taken over by “outsiders” who push the locals aside, fabricate a reality to support the myth, and essentially sell visitors a bill of goods in the guise of an authentic experience. The interesting statement was that the locals “always” end up the worse for the bargain. I disagree, but I’m alright with that. I think he did a good job of illustrating just how the locals, at least in the cases he chose to discuss, ended up trapped in dead-end jobs, living in an altered town and subject to the decisions of outsiders.
I disagree because I can offer examples where the results were less dire, even possibly—dare I say (gasp)—positive? But I’m way too tired to type it up now, it’ll keep for tomorrow night’s session.
I also commented on Carrie’s site and Dan's site .
Just flew in from Germany, and boy are my…oh, you’ve heard that one? Well, it is 4am on my biological clock, so it seemed like a humorous blog opening.
I finished up Devil’s Bargains on the flight back tonight, and I’m sorry to say that I’m unimpressed. I agree with the bulk of this week’s blog comments (too long, excessively ornate word selections, no real thesis, repetitive, etc.) so I’ll just comment on what I liked about the book.
Rothman’s statement (receiving the “duh” award from Dan) is that the initial development of a tourist destination is soon taken over by “outsiders” who push the locals aside, fabricate a reality to support the myth, and essentially sell visitors a bill of goods in the guise of an authentic experience. The interesting statement was that the locals “always” end up the worse for the bargain. I disagree, but I’m alright with that. I think he did a good job of illustrating just how the locals, at least in the cases he chose to discuss, ended up trapped in dead-end jobs, living in an altered town and subject to the decisions of outsiders.
I disagree because I can offer examples where the results were less dire, even possibly—dare I say (gasp)—positive? But I’m way too tired to type it up now, it’ll keep for tomorrow night’s session.
posted by john | 7:11 PM
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