On Holiday: A History of Vacationing (repost)
Orvar Löfgren, "On Holiday: A History of Vacationing"
English | ISBN: 0520217675 | 1999 | PDF | 329 pages | 2,86 mb
English | ISBN: 0520217675 | 1999 | PDF | 329 pages | 2,86 mb
Lofgren, a professor of European enthology in Sweden, has written several books (i.e., Culture Builders: A Historical Anthropology of Middle-Class Life). Here he uses concepts and ideas from various social science disciplines, as well as frequent literary examples, to explore the history of tourism in the United States and Europe. He notes the inherent tensions in tourism: the desire to see everything v. the desire to get away from it all, the local v. the global, and the quest for novelty despite the commodification of tourism. He uses examples like vacation cottages, bus tours, the idea of "the beach," and souvenirs to make his arguments. The most interesting parts, however, are those that touch upon issues such as gender, morality, and class. Although the text occasionally wanders, overall it is interesting and well researched. Recommended for social science and social history collections