Exploring online fitness culture and young females

Abstract

While previous studies have investigated online health communities and health-seeking behaviours, less attention has been directed at the growing impact of the online fitness movement. This paper draws on the concept of biopedagogies to examine the messages transmitted within fitness culture on social networking sites (SNSs), and their role as a channel for health and fitness information. To explore this, a multi-method approach was conducted. The two methods included a netnography (online ethnography) and 22 semi-structured individual interviews with female participants aged 18–24 in Australia. The study suggests that online fitness use is becoming a popular leisure activity and source of health and fitness information. It reveals how SNSs are used as a platform to gather and teach ideas of health and fitness, and the manner in which textual and photographic online communication facilitates the social construction and transmission of this knowledge. Results indicated that although fitness accounts on SNSs offer differing notions to present alternative and competing realities, users predominantly chose to follow the normalised and dominant health discourses. Noteworthy, the onus is firmly placed on the individual within these health and fitness messages to adhere to norms of correct health practices and choices. This has connotations relevant to eHealth literacy.     

Working out: aesthetic labour,affect and the fitness industry personal trainer

In this article, we identify the importance of aesthetic labour to the self-employed fitness industry personal trainer (PT), detailing the ways in which the PT trades on their own physical capital. We examine how these discussions relate to the aesthetic and material dimensions of body work (that is to say, enacted on and through bodies) and the ways in which affective labour, inherent to this type of service work, intersects or delimits physical capital and the embodied competencies of the PT. We argue that the work of PTs helps to deepen emerging discussions and provides a more nuanced and contextualised understanding of affective and aesthetic labour. We assert that the confluences and contradictions between the affective and aesthetic dimensions of work in a fitness industry setting demonstrate that excessive physical capital is perceived as negative for the professional identity of PTs. In conclusion, implications for further research and management are discussed.     

Incorporating emotion into social exchange: considering distinct resident groups’ attitudes towards ethnic neighborhood tourism in Osaka,Japan

While numerous studies have utilized SET to examine the residents’ attitudes towards tourism, relatively scant from the literature is a discussion regarding the influence of emotion generated through SET among residents on their attitudes towards tourism. In addition, past studies mainly explored the social exchange between visitors and locals, while neglecting the social exchange within a local community. The goal of this study is to examine the influence individuals’ emotions toward their ethnic counterparts within a community can have on residents’ (i.e., members of the dominant ethnic group—Japanese and members of the ethnic minority group—Koreans) attitudes toward ethnic neighborhood tourism within the Korean neighborhood of Ikuno, Osaka, Japan. Ikuno has the highest concentration of Korean residents in Japan, and the town has become a destination of cultural tourism centered on Korean culture. Analysis of 640 completed questionnaires revealed while attitudes of Korean residents, who are more likely to perceive economic benefits from tourism have more favorable attitudes towards tourism, Japanese residents form their particular attitudes towards tourism based on the emotional solidarity they experience with their Korean neighbors. These findings indicate both utility of economic approach of social exchange theory and significant role of emotion in social exchange.     

A Cross-Cultural/National Study of Canadian,Chinese, and Japanese University Students' Leisure Satisfaction and Subjective Well-Being

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine whether Canadian, Chinese, and Japanese university students' leisure satisfaction affected their subjective well-being (SWB) and, if so, how this process was similar and different cross-culturally/nationally. A series of stepwise multiple regressions indicated that, in general, satisfying leisure significantly and positively impacted SWB across all three cultures, but there were also differences between (a) Canada and both China and Japan in terms of aesthetic leisure satisfaction and (b) China and Japan in terms of psychological and physiological leisure satisfaction. Overall, our results suggest that while satisfying leisure significantly, positively, and substantively impacts SWB in both Western and East Asian cultural contexts, culture frequently influences which specific elements are pertinent. This cross-cultural/national study has important theoretical and practical implications for the currently Western-centric leisure literature and for the understanding of the different roles leisure plays in enhancing SWB across cultures, respectively.     

Differences Between Management Philosophies Among American and Chinese Hotel Managers: A Cultural Comparison Between Las Vegas and Shanghai

The aim of this study is to ascertain, in an international tourism context, whether there are cultural discrepancies between hotel employees who have been educated and trained in a host country, and guests who have traveled to that country, given that each group is imbued with their own national culture. The findings indicate that not only do Thai frontline hotel employees have different expectations about the behavior of Japanese and Korean customers, but that the expectations of both customer groups concerning their own behavior differ from those of Thai employees. A significant gap was found in perceptions of actual behavior between the international customers and hotel staff, suggesting that cultural discrepancies are indeed present, but also vary by ethnicity. The scale of the discrepancy between Thai employees’ perceptions of Japanese tourists’ behavior, for example, was larger than in the case of the Korean customers. Comparison of the expectations of the two international customer groups also revealed strong differences.     

The World Wide Fund for Nature Arctic Tourism Project

This article investigates the involvement of an environmental non - governmental organisation (ENGO) in a sustainable tourism initiative. The article examines the collaborative relationship between this ENGO, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and other stakeholders in this Project, which involves integrating conservation with Arctic tourism. The collaboration has included tour operators, polar scientists, tourism academics and researchers, local and national government representatives, Arctic community representatives and members of NGOs, in addition to WWF representatives. The goal of the Project was to integrate conservation ideals into tourism in Arctic locations to enable communities, tourists and operators to work towards a more sustainable form of tourism. This article discusses the aims of the Project, presents an analysis of the processes involved, particularly those of negotiation and implementation, and provides an evaluation of the outcomes in relation to the original aims.     

Comparing levels of resident empowerment among two culturally diverse resident populations in Oizumi,Gunma, Japan

While resident empowerment has been a central aspect of the sustainable tourism literature, difficulties of putting the concept into practice have been noted given the heterogeneous nature of communities. “Community” is often divided by kinship, age, gender and ethnicity, and such division may influence the perceptions of empowerment. The goal of this study was to better understand heterogeneous perceptions of empowerment by administering the Resident Empowerment through Tourism Scale within the community of Oizumi, Japan. Oizumi has the highest concentration of Brazilian immigrants in Japan, and the town has embraced “ethnic neighborhood tourism” centered on Brazilian culture as a strategy for economic development. Oizumi's demographic makeup allowed for testing differences in perceived empowerment between members of the dominant ethnic group (Japanese) and members of the ethnic minority group (Japanese Brazilians). Analysis of 650 completed questionnaires revealed that Brazilians felt more psychologically and socially empowered than Japanese residents, indicating a shift in the balance of power between the ethnic groups. Results also revealed that the political dimension of empowerment was rated relatively low among both groups, suggesting a general lack of opportunities to participate in the planning process. Implications for both practice and theory are presented.     

海上丝绸之路旅游体验价值对旅游者文化传播行为的影响

旅游是文化传播的载体,旅游者是文化传播的主体。本文基于情绪评价理论和社会认同理论,构建基于民族自豪感和文化认同的中介效应模型,考察海上丝绸之路（以下简称"海丝"）旅游体验价值对旅游者文化传播行为的影响机制。研究结果表明：旅游体验功能价值和符号价值通过民族自豪感和文化认同影响旅游者的文化传播行为。旅游者在海丝文化旅游体验中形成的集体身份认知诱发民族自豪感,进而将海丝文化符号与民族集体记忆建立情感连接,形成文化认同;在民族自豪感和文化认同的驱使下,旅游者将高度的情感能量转化为具体的文化传播行为。旅游者体验到的民族自豪感和文化认同越多,则实施文化传播行为的可能性越大,文化传播行为又强化了旅游者对自身群体身份的认同。因此,应进一步凝练海丝文化元素符号,凸显海丝文化成就,提高旅游体验价值,提升旅游者民族自豪感与文化认同,进而促进文化传播。     

A needle in a hay stack: finding authenticity in local provenance at the John Hay Center,Salem, Indiana

Authenticity within heritage tourism continues to be a salient issue, especially in the context of small-scale rural sites that seek to preserve and narrate local history. Grounded in the literature on cultural tourism and authenticity, this paper presents a qualitative case study of the Pioneer Village at the John Hay Center in Salem, Indiana, based upon participant observation, informal interviews and content analysis. Attention is paid to the interplay between national myths – i.e. the opening of the frontier and Manifest Destiny – and the particulars of the local history of early nineteenth-century Salem with an emphasis on the preservation and presentation of material culture. The framing of the local against the national results in a village that conforms to general ideas about what a pioneer village should look like, including spurious building types that lend an air of inauthenticity to the site. However, the material culture that is on display is deemed authentic by the designers of the site and is predicated upon an understanding of the term that privileges local provenance. Artifacts, from looms to logs, are rated as authentic because of whence and from whom they have come, i.e. the significant families in the county.     

Tourist merchandise’ as a means of generating local benefits from ecotourism

Long term protection of national parks and nature reserves is very difficult unless economic benefits can be secured for local people. Ecotourism offers a possible income source, provided that there is a means of local revenue capture from the visitors. This article examines the sale of handicrafts and other ‘tourist merchandise’ as a possible means of generating local benefits. The article considers issues of supply and demand, new product development, marketing, and the sustainability of supply of materials used as inputs. It concludes that strong possibilities exist for market development and creation of new, sustainable, culturally acceptable products. Of particular interest are active linking of tourist merchandise production to agricultural or forestry projects that provide a sustainable supply of inputs, use of ‘craft as performance’ to promote product sale, and development of products that educate tourists about park resources and local cultures.     

The culture of hospitality: From anecdote to evidence

We examine the effects of hotel workers' national culture on hotel guests' satisfaction with services rendered by the workers. The results suggest that workers from countries scoring low on Hofstede's cultural dimensions named Individualism and Indulgence are particularly gifted for rendering high quality hotel services. Interestingly, many Asian countries, including Japan, Pakistan, Hong Kong, China, Lebanon, India and the Philippines have advantageous overall cultural profiles, which is consistent with portrayals of the Asian (or Eastern) hospitality culture in the scientific and professional literature. The insights presented in this study have important implications for the processes of staff recruitment and training in the global hotel industry.     

文化实践中非物质文化遗产的真实性:径山茶宴的再发明

文章通过对一名茶僧参与策划径山茶宴全过程的民族志研究,采用参与观察和深入访谈的研究方法,讨论和反思旅游文化背景下非物质文化遗产的再发明问题。文章从旅游文化和"真实性"的概念出发,讨论旅游研究领域对"光环"研究的缺失,提出关注文化实践中对光环的利用存在的问题,进一步探讨径山茶宴再发明过程中"谁需要真实性以及为什么"以及"如何使用真实性"两个核心问题,以期补充现有真实性讨论的局限性。笔者认为,遗产旅游文化是文化市场化的结果,具备其真实性,而遗产的光环促进着地方文化品牌的推广,径山茶宴在旅游发展背景下的遗产化过程呼吁我们反思非物质文化遗产认证存在的批量化、标准化以及文化多元性等问题。     

Destination image of Japan and social reform generation of China: role of consumer products

This study attempts to investigate the destination image of Japan perceived by Social Reform Generation of China and explore the role of Japanese consumer products in image formation. Through the analysis of textual data from in-depth interviews, present study identified three categories of cognitive image of Japan. They are Diversity of Offerings, Cultural Uniqueness and Advanced Infrastructure. The study proposed a framework that conceptualizes the role of consumer products in destination image formation. Japanese tangible and cultural consumer products have direct and induced impact on three components of destination image. Theoretical and practical contribution of the study is discussed based on the framework.     

西部地区民族旅游开发与民族文化保护

随着西部旅游大开发战略的实施,西部地区以少数民族文化为主要吸引物的民族旅游开发也将进入一个新阶段。民族旅游资源开发给当地少数民族地区带来经济发展的同时,也将不可避免地给当地民族文化带来一系列的负面作用。本文分析了民族旅游开发对民族文化的消极影响,探讨了西部民族旅游开发中民族文化的保护问题。     

Roots of unsustainable tourism development at the local level: the case of Urgup in Turkey

The main aim of this article is to investigate and explain the roots of unsustainable tourism development at the local level in a developing country, with special reference to Urgup in the region of Cappadocia, Turkey. It was found that the factors that ushered in unsustainable tourism development are beyond the control of local people and authorities. They are largely related to issues at the national level such as the policy of political economy, prevailing national planning approaches applied to tourism, patron-client relationships between decision-makers and related business class alongside the role of international tour operators in the international tourism system. It concludes that achieving sustainable tourism development at the local level in a developing country requires hard political choices, a confident decision-making process and the collaboration of international tour operators and donor agencies.     

Leveraging accessible tourism development through mega-events,and the disability-attitude gap

Able-bodied, and increasingly people with disabilities, represent a key audience for mega-events; occasions that act as crucibles where social problems endemic to host destinations can be exposed and tackled through targeted social policy. Drawing on the social model of disability, the paper examines how Japan utilised Tokyo 2020 as a field configuring event to disrupt systems of ableist thinking and tackle physical and attitudinal barriers restricting Persons with Disabilities (PwD) to accessible tourism. Qualitative evidence reveals national commitments to relegitimise, improve accessibility for - and acceptance toward - PwD in Japanese society, through transformations to the built environment, national awareness, and educational campaigns in the build up to Tokyo 2020. An over-emphasis on physical as opposed to social structural change mean negative attitudes often persist, where disability remains stigmatised, leading to PwD immobility and social exclusion. Our policy recommendations and managerial implications, alongside research directions attend to this disability-attitude gap.     

文化距离对旅游目的地选择的影响--以日本和中国大陆出境游为例

在全球化和出境旅游日益发展的大背景下,了解国家文化和文化差异对出境旅游的影响越来越重要。文章以日本和中国出境旅游市场为案例,定量研究客源国与目的地国家之间的文化差异对旅游者出境旅游目的地选择的影响。文章数据来源于对日本和中国城市居民的一手数据,包括受访者的过往出境目的地选择和计划前往目的地选择情况。条件Logit模型的估计结果显示,日本居民在过往目的地和计划前往目的地的选择上都显著偏好总体与日本文化差异大的国家。具体而言,他们偏好在“权力距离”和“不确定性避免”维度差异较小,而在“集体主义“”性别气质”和“长远考虑”维度差异较大的目的地。相比而言,中国大陆居民在出境目的地选择上受文化距离的影响较少。     

The Influence of a TV Drama on Visitors’ Perception: A Cross-Cultural Study

The goal of this study is to assess the effects the Korean food featured on the Korean TV drama series Daeganggeum has on the perceptions of national image and intention to visit Korea by residents of Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand. Estimates of structural equation models are used for samples from the three countries to produce information for comparing relationships between variables: on preferring Korean food, the national image of Korea, and the intention to visit Korea for food tourism. The results show similarities and differences between the three national groups. Virtually identical models are found for Hong Kong and Taiwan groups. However, the comparison of Hong Kong and Taiwan groups to the Thailand group demonstrate differences. Specifically, in the Thai sample, distinctiveness of Korean food culture significantly increases the intention to visit Korea for food tourism. All three national groups demonstrate that a strong relationship exists between the national image of Korea and the intention to visit Korea for food tourism.     

Anime pilgrimage in Japan: Focusing Social Influences as determinants

Japanese animation, anime, has long been regarded as a niche culture reserved for anime otaku in Japan. The word anime otaku refers to individuals who spend most of their time alone at home, watching anime. However, in recent years, prototypical anime otaku have changed their behavioral patterns, resulting in a new movement called anime pilgrimage. Anime pilgrimage involves traveling to locations that resemble particular scenes in anime pieces, even though the locations themselves may be ordinary places. The authors constructed two models to describe the determinants of visit intention and destination loyalty based on research into ordinary and film tourism. The results suggested that, during the pre-tour period, otaku are motivated by the desire for interaction with other otaku and the wish to visit a new location. Moreover, they are also seeking to interact with the local people, and such experiences result in higher destination loyalty during the post-tour period.     

少数民族山区居民对旅游影响的感知和态度--以柴埠溪国家森林公园为例

接待地居民对旅游影响的感知和态度是国内旅游学研究的一个热点.本文通过问卷调查和访谈,对柴埠溪国家森林公园的土家族山区居民对旅游影响的感知和态度进行了实证研究.结果表明,旅游对少数民族山区居民的语言、生活风俗、民族服饰有显著影响,但对其饮食习惯和地方建筑特色影响不大,旅游所产生的社会文化变迁是积极的;居民对旅游正面影响的感知明显强于对负面影响的感知;旅游对当地居民的经济影响强于旅游的社会文化影响和环境影响.最后建议通过建立健全的旅游社区参与机制来调控居民对旅游影响的感知.