Defining Place Authenticity: My Heritage Can Beat Up Your History
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Transcript of Defining Place Authenticity: My Heritage Can Beat Up Your History
Defining Place Authenticity:My Heritage Can Beat Up Your History
Alan A. Lew, Ph.D.Northern Arizona Universityhttp://AlanLew.comhttp://AlanALew.com
North of Lake Tahoe, California
“My History Can Beat Up Your Politics” podcast http://myhistorycanbeatupyourpolitics.blogspot.com/
The Postmodern Tourism Past
Authenticity is NegotiableCulture is Continually InventedMultiple Layers of Place Identity
Heritage & Culture are (Re)-Interpreted
for Economic DevelopmentCommodification
for Nationalism
“The Past is a Foreign County”We Cannot Know the Past
Except through the Values of the Present Also true of Interpreting Cultures
Nostalgia ExplosionReaction Against Postmodern Uncertainty
Requires1. Linear sense of Time2. Apprehension over
limitations/deficiencies of the Present
3. Social Change is detectable over one’s lifetime
4. Evidence of the past exists • artefacts, images & text
“If the Past is a Foreign Country, Nostalgia has made it “the foreign country with the healthiest tourist trade of all”
Lowenthal, 1985: 4
Defining / Fixing Heritage Authenticity
Heritage Success =1 - Semblance of Authenticity
BelievabilityCredibility
2 - Acceptance by its Audiences
Fixing of Heritage Traditionto establish or stabilize cultural identitiesto legitimate institutions; and to socialize people in(to) particular contexts
The traditional and the new are not mutually exclusive states
Approaches to Authenticity
1. Authenticity as a Product Feature vs. Authenticity as Experience
2. Stakeholders and Negotiation in Authenticity
3. Primordial vs Situational Authenticity
4. Simulations and Dissimulations
5. Objective, Constructive & Existential Authenticity
Revitalization of Older Retail Districts
Four Oregon Case Studies– Sisters (#19)– Junction City (#9)– Oakland (#13)– Florence (#7)
Case Study #1 – Sisters, Oregon- Western Facade
On Eastern Slopes of Cascade Mountains3 Major Highways converge just before Sisters
Formerly known for gas stations and restaurants only
Sisters Rodeo was already well established
Junior Chamber of Commerce in early 1970sConverted two small buildings into Cowboy Theme
One at each end of town
By 1977 – 1880s Cowboy Western Façade was made mandatory for entire retail district
Design guidelines written into local ordinances & building code
Strong community support for Western ThemeMakes Community more Interesting
Increases Shopping variety and Opportunities
Sisters is #19
Sisters Yesterday and Today
4th of July, 1946
Sisters BoomsNamed after the Three Sisters Mountain Peaks
Population of about 600 in town in 1990
Retirement and Recreation RegionLarge Second Home Subdivisions near Sisters
Developers Funded Architectural Sketches to Show Businesses how they could be “Westernized”
Saw Sisters as an “Attraction” for recreation subdivisions
Other AmenitiesMount Bachelor Ski Area to north
Hunting and Fishing in Cascades
High Plateau climate
High Level of Retail Organization100% Retail Membership in Chamber of Commerce !
Sisters, Oregon The Cascades:
Snowcapped Volcanoes, Lava Flows and Pine Trees
SistersCity Hall
Hotel Sisters – the only truly Historic building in town
The New West in Sisters, Oregon
An Award is given each year to the Best (most authentic) Western Theme Building
- a past winner (right) >>
Issues of Authenticity
The Sno-Cap Drive Inn – A SistersTradition
Front Porch of a New Retail Store
Which of these is more Authentic? More ‘Disney’?
Which is gives a Real ‘Sense of Place’?
Case Study #2 – Junction City, ORJunction City, Oregon
settled by ethnic Danish migrants from the Midwestjoined late by other ethnic Scandinavian migrants
Bypassed by Interstate 5 in the late 1950smajor economic downtown
Initiated the Scandinavian Festival in early 1960sto boost community pride
Suggested by a local M.D. & supported by the Chamber of Commerce
Draws over 200,000 visitors yearly over 4 daysFocus on Non-profit organization
Schools, Social organization – including the Danish Sisterhood and Sons of Norway
Emphasis on Authenticity of Booths and DisplayAuthenticity is checked before and during the festival
Junction City is #9
Junction City Scandinavian Festival
•The Scandinavian Festival is ranked by Sunset Magazine as one of the best in the U.S. – due to its emphasis on authenticity.
•Planning for the festival is a year-round activity
•The Junction City High School is opened for RV trailer parking and use of the schools showers and restrooms.
Landscape Impacts of the Scandinavian Festival
Festival Hall & Flower Boxes
A Junction City Travel Agency
•The Festival Hall is used for the Art Show and Dances
•It is the only permanent festival building
The higher end of Authenticity?
Retail Efforts to Encompass the Scandinavian Theme
Downtown Junction City (above) and the Viking Inn (right)
• Impacts on ‘For Profit’ community has been minimal
• these are resented by the festival’s ‘non-profit’ organizers
Do Shingles (especially Red ones) signify Scandinavia?
Scandinavia along US Highway 99
More Shinglesplus Painted Tulips on a gas station sign
Attracting the passing traffic
Case Study #3 – Oakland, Oregon Historic District
1890s brick and stone architecture
First designated Historic District in Oregon
High level of Architectural Authenticity
Both in Retail District and adjacent Residential Area
Early 1960s –Oakland Lumber Mill Closed
Historic Preservation effort initiated
To raise community spirits & Revitalize downtown Oakland
But – final Historic District Zone – only for Retail Area
Did not include Residential Area
Businesses accused of trying to create a “Tourist Trap”
Residents rejected Historic Preservation – never implemented
Early 1970s – State mandated comprehensive planning
New Historic District boundaries drawn to include Residential
Oakland is #13
Oakland, Oregon
Bank Building in Downtown
Historic Home
Old School Building
The total population of Oakland in 1990 was about 900
Downtown Oakland, Oregon
1928 “Turkey Capital of the World”
Who’s Downtown is it?
New 1970s Historic District encompassed residential areas
More acceptable to citizens
Lion’s Club began some initial promotional effortsBut - New Economy of Oakland had made it a Bedroom Community for the much larger Roseburg, OR
Residents opposed ‘Disneyfication’ of downtown‘Visitors’ are OK, but Not ‘Tourists’
Continuing Distrust of Downtown Retailer Motives
1980s Gradual moves by retailers to expand marketInformation sign in Interstate 5 Rest Area
Signage of Oakland, Oregon
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Lion’s Club 1970s sign
1980s Interstate 5 Rest Area information sign
Case Study #4 - Florence, Oregon – Waterfront Theme
Old Town FlorenceBypassed by new bridge over the Siuslaw River
Revitalization of Old Town started by tourists from California in early 1970s
Combination of Historic Preservation & Waterfront
High Seasonality – closed in winter months
Regional ResourcesOregon Coast – most popular destination in OR
Sport Fishing
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area
Regional Marketing
Florence is #7
Oregon CoastRegional Resources
Oregon Dunes & the Coast
A Variety of Tourist ‘Traps’
Florence, Oregon – Old town
The large white building is historic, none of the others are
Florence, OR
Fishing boats in the Siuslaw River
New Tourist Shops in Old Town
Florence, OR
Good Signage indicates a well organized retail community
Thematic Singapore ? Thematic AsiaHow Are Themes Used in Retail Districts in
1. Singapore ?
2. Asia ?
List
1. Places
2. Themes
3. Symbols / Examples
Sisters, OR (western)
Junction City, OR (Nordic)
Oakland, OR (historic buildings)
Florence, OR (waterfront)
Approaches to Authenticity
1. Authenticity as a Product Feature vs. Authenticity as Experience
2. Stakeholders and Negotiation in Authenticity
3. Primordial vs Situational Authenticity
4. Simulations and Dissimulations
5. Objective, Constructive & Existential Authenticity
1. Heritage Authenticity as a Product Feature vs. Consumed Experience
Authenticity takes multiple forms and thus we can only unpack its meaning by analyzing the context and the specific instance it is used each time (Bruner 1994)
Product Authenticity Features - 5 types: Object-related, Factual, Locational, Personage, and EnvironmentalHampton (2006) – Gettysburg, PA Battlefield
All five Product types [of product authenticity] gave value to the heritage experience by helping visitors achieve a temporary but profoundly intense imaginary flight in the past…. Perceived authenticity of the product can, therefore, trigger consumers imagination and transport them through narrative worlds.
Consumed Authentic Experiences‘Constructive Authenticity’, ‘Symbolic Authenticity’, and othersTourist Types:
Recreational, Diversionary, Experiential, Existential, …
Sisters, OR (western)
1. Experience
Junction City, OR (Nordic)
1. Experience
Oakland, OR (historic buildings)
1. Product-Factual
Florence, OR (waterfront)
1. Product-Locational + Experience
2. Stakeholders and Negotiation in Heritage Authenticity
Perspectives of authenticity as seen by different stakeholders
Authenticity is Negotiable - depending upon 1. State Regulations2. Tourist / Visitor Expectations3. Tourism Industry / Business Goals4. Host community Knowledge and Belief in their
‘own’ past
Each creates a Subjective Framework of what constitutes the authentic aspects of heritage
Permutations/Changes of authenticity that have taken place in the ongoing discourse
Authenticity as a Dynamic Process
Sisters, OR (western)
1. Experience – 2. Tourism Industry
Junction City, OR (Nordic)
1. Experience – 2. Host Community
Oakland, OR (historic)
1. Product-Factual – 2. State Regulation
Florence, OR (waterfront)
1. Product-Locational + Experience – 2. Tourism Industry
3. Primordial vs Situational Heritage Identity
Cultural Identity as an ongoing process, politically contested and historically unfinished, and as always mixed, relational and inventive
Primordial Heritage Processes by which heritage identities and boundaries were originally created, modified and maintained.
Geographic and historic isolation resulting in cultural differences
Situational HeritageRegards heritage as ‘a set of processes and social relations, which may be invoked according to circumstances’ (Hitchcock, 1999: 21). e.g.: Tourism turns culture into a commodity and heritage is modified to accommodate the visitors and the locals
Situational Heritage ALWAYS Dominates Primordial Authenticity in defining heritage identity (Hitchcock 1999)
Sisters, OR (western)
1. Experience – 2. Tourism Industry – 3. Situational
Junction City, OR (Nordic)
1. Experience – 2. Host Community – 3. Premordial
Oakland, OR (historic)
1. Product-Factual – 2. State Regulation – 3. Premordial
Florence, OR (waterfront)
1. Product-Locational + Experience – 2. Tourism Industry - 3. Primordial+Situational
4. Simulations and DissimulationsBaudrillard (1995)
Dissimulation = the masking of reality by presupposing its absolute existence
= the inauthenticity of Product AuthenticityProduct Authenticity can never be absolutely confirmed
Simulation = ‘devours’ reality, leaving nothing except signs which merely refer to each other
‘Reality’ created and supported by mass mediaDisneyland as a Virtual RealityFilm & Movie TourismBut also - Ethnic Histories / Traditions / Identities
= Social inventions and the recycling of myths
Similar to: Situational Authenticity
Sisters, OR (western)
1. Experience – 2. Tourism Industry – 3. Situational – 4. Simulation
Junction City, OR (Nordic)
1. Experience – 2. Host Community – 3. Premordial – 4. Dissimulation
Oakland, OR (historic)
1. Product-Factual – 2. State Regulation – 3. Premordial – 4. Dissimulation
Florence, OR (waterfront)
1. Product-Locational + Experience – 2. Tourism Industry - 3. Primordial+Situational – 4. Simulation
5. Objective, Constructive & Existential Authenticity (Ning Wang 1999)
Objective Authenticity Authenticity of objects; “Objective” measures
Constructive Authenticity Socially constructed authenticityBelievability based on points of view, beliefs, perspectives, or power elitesRelative, negotiable, contextually determined, and even ideological
Existential Authenticity Personal subjective feelings of authenticityCan be unrelated to Objective or Constructive authenticity4 Types: Bodily feelings, Self-making, Family ties, Touristic communitas
Sisters, OR (western)
1. Experience – 2. Tourism Industry – 3. Situational – 4. Simulation – 5. Constructive
Junction City, OR (Nordic)
1. Experience – 2. Host Community – 3. Premordial – 4. Dissimulation – 5. Existential
Oakland, OR (historic)
1. Product-Factual – 2. State Regulation – 3. Premordial – 4. Dissimulation– 5. Objective
Florence, OR (waterfront)
1. Product-Locational + Experience – 2. Tourism Industry - 3. Primordial+Situational– 5. Existential (body feelings?)
Scales of Authenticity in Theme Towns
Spontaneous Retail DistrictsDeveloped unselfconsciously over a long period of timeHigher Object Authenticity - Lower Existential Authenticity
Renovation ProgramsUsually part of a historic preservation effortAn attempt to preserve the past in an authentic manner
False FacadesPlaced over existing store frontsThese include many Western and European theme towns
Recreated DowntownsNewly created shopping centers emulating images of a specific theme; the Postmodern “Simulcra” and the “Fantasy City”
“Main Street” in Disneyland; Las Vegas Casinos Lower Object Authenticity - Higher Experiential Authenticity
Theme Town Formation Revisited
Original Factors Influencing Theme Town Formation Economic Restructuring – pushing change Mass Images – framing change Architectural Resources – level of ‘authenticity’ Location / Access – resource & visitor markets Cultural Heritage / History – a human resource
Other Factors – as seen through the Case StudiesLocal Agency
• Identifiable Individuals often serve as spark of change Local Politics
• Multiple interpretations of themes is common– One usually predominates + guides development
Negotiation of Authenticity, Meaning and Significance• Multiple interpretations of ‘Success’ and ‘Quality’
– economic, cultural, social, design, others?…
My Heritage Can Beat Up Your History
• History is:1. A Product Feature
2. Government & Hosts
3. Primordial
4. A Simulation
5. Objective
• Heritage is:1. Experiential
2. Tourist Industry & Tourist
3. Situational
4. A Dissimulation
5. Constructed and Existential
Sources1. Authenticity as a Product Feature vs. Authenticity as
Experience• Athinodoros Chronis and Ronald D. Hampton, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Authenticity
at Gettysburg. Advances in Consumer Research - V33, 2006 – pp.367-368
2. Stakeholders and Negotiation in Authenticity• Philip Feifan Xie, A Life Cycle Model for Aboriginal Arts Performance in Tourism: Perspectives on Authenticity,
J of Sustainable Tourism, V.14, N.6, 2006, pp.545-561and
• Stroma Cole, 2007. Beyond Authenticity and Commodification. Annals of Tourism Research v.34, N.4, pp.943-960/
3. Primordial vs Situational Authenticity• Hitchcock, m. 1999. Tourism and ethnicity: Situational perspectives. International Journal of Tourism Research
1, 17–32
4. Simulations and Dissimulations• Baudrillard, Jean. 1995. Sociedade de consumo, A. Rio de Janeiro. Elfos.
5. Objective, Constructive & Existential Authencity• Ning Wang. 199. Rethinking Authencity in Tourism Experience. Annals of Tourism Research, Vol.26, No.2,
pp.349-370.