March 24, 2009

"They are people just like us:" Examining the constructs of Durkheim's emotional

solidarity framework among residents of Beaufort County, South Carolina

Traditional resident-tourist relationshipFinancial exchanges (Wall & Mathieson

2006)Superficial (Mason 2008)‘Self’ versus ‘other’ (Urry 2002)Discounts common ground and intimacy

between each

Transcending traditional viewsCalls for examination of emotional relationship (Wearing &

Wearing 2001)Durkheim’s (1995[1915]) framework of emotional solidarity

DefinitionHistoryConstructs in

tourism context Shared Beliefs

Shared Behavior

Interaction

EmotionalSolidarity

Purpose of studyTo develop themes corresponding to each

of the four constructs in Durkheim’s model from focus group qualitative data among permanent residents of Beaufort County, South Carolina

Study site context

Why selected? Divergent perspectives; high

degree of new residents; large percentage of retirees; fastest growing area in state

Beaufort County (population: 142,045)

Beaufort, Bluffton, & Hilton Head

Rich in natural and cultural tourism opportunities as well as family vacation destination

Festivals and special events all year; ranks 3rd in SC in domestic travel expenditures; tourism largest employer

Research methodsData collection

Criterion sampling with gatekeepersFocus group in each three cities (April/May

2007) (2 hours)IncentivesModerator and assistant moderatorSemi-structured interview script

Data analysisConceptual content analysis (Busch,

DeMaret, & Flynn 2009)IRR 83.1% agreement between coders

Table 1. Socio-Demographic Composition of Focus Groups

Focus group Length of residency (yrs)

Employed in tourism sector

Racial composition

Gender composition

Beaufort (N=10)

Range (1-40)Median (20)

n=3 1 African Amer.9 Caucasian

5 Women5 Men

Hilton Head (N=8)

Range (10-80)Median (19.5)

n=4 3 African Amer.5 Caucasian

3 Women5 Men

Bluffton (N=11)

Range (1-50)Median (12)

n=5 3 African Amer.8 Caucasian

7 Women4 Men

Findings: Shared beliefsAppreciation for history

and natural beautyI find the common belief in the history and preservation of the island. Many of our visitors who take our tour and talking about the past and conservation district that this island once was—you both yearn for half-way back, wishing we could just be somewhere in-between where we are now and where we were then. There are things we should have saved and we didn’t. History is very important to many of our tourists. It is important to us (Lifelong resident [M]on HHI who own kayaking tour company).

They [tourists] marvel at the beauty of it, especially where I work at the visitors’ center—they stare out at the marsh and say, ‘aaahhh.’ They cannot believe that it is so pristine. They are just shocked by it and are able to enjoy it as much as possible (Bluffton resident [F] who works part time at the HHI visitor center; recently moved to the area).

Sharing similar value systemBelief in uniqueness of the placeBelief that county has wealth of

eateries and local shops

Findings: Shared behaviorAttending festivals/special events

‘Third Friday’ has been a big promotion of the area. Every third Friday they block off Calhoun Street [in Bluffton], have vendors, musicians, and performers and it allows people to interact with the local community (A retired businessman [M] from Delaware who has lived in Bluffton for 5 years).

Visiting cultural-historic sitesEngaging in beach activitiesParticipating in outdoor recreation activitiesShopping at local storesAttending churchDining out

Findings: InteractionWhere and when

Local businesses (retail stores, restaurants, and grocery stores)

Public locations (sidewalks, streets, and roads)I often encounter tourists at the toll booth. I keep a stash of quarters for those who either realize they had to have correct change or they are not sure where they are going (Homemaker [F]from HHI who has lived on-island for 20 years).

Degree of intimacySuperficial to long-term personal friendships

There is a friendship that develops, and when people have been visiting and seeing you for 3, 4, or 5 years, you quickly become old friends. I’ve even gone to visit a couple where they live (Lifelong resident [M]in Beaufort who owns a real estate company).

Findings: Emotional solidarityEmpathy

I try to remind people all the time when they start complaining about the tourists. I say, ‘we were all…most of us were all tourists at one time. So we should be very careful about how critical we are of tourists and have a little bit more empathy for people out there’ (Retired engineer [M] from Michigan living on HHI for 15 years).

EmbracementWhenever I do feel frustration towards a tourist who may not know where they are going or may not be sure where they are going or whatever…I think back to whenever we first moved here or when I am a visitor in another town (Middle aged homemaker [F] from Bluffton).

EnjoymentWhen I walk or exercise in the historic area, quite often I see primarily senior citizens taking the horse-drawn tour or even taking the walking tour and I personally enjoy seeing them because they are so laid back and relaxed (Retired schoolteacher [F] living in Beaufort; recently relocated).

PrideGratefulness and economic appreciation

ConclusionsResidents thinking outside ‘self’;

understanding what its like to be touristMitigate negative perceptions of tourism

impactsConcern for resources bind resident and

touristNot just residents

Resident and tourist engage in similar ‘tourist’ activities (beach and outdoor rec activities), yet shopping mentioned minimallyFunction of location

ImplicationsPractical

Utilization of locals in promotional material“Come to my Beaufort County”Pigeon Forge, TN

Better sense of what to promote to residents and tourists based on commonalities

TheoreticalScale development (reliability and validity)Model testingEmotional solidarity from tourists perspective

Thank you!