romantic and the normative ideas

[keannu]

Source : 2019. Sep Highschool 3rd Grader Mockup test, 21, author : unknown

For a long time, tourism was seen as a huge monster invading the areas of indigenous peoples, introducing them to the evils of the modern world. However, research has shown that this is not the correct way to perceive it. In most places, tourists are welcome and indigenous people see tourism as a path to modernity and economic development. But such development is always a two-edged sword. Tourism can mean progress, but most often also means the loss of traditions and cultural uniqueness. And, of course, there are examples of ‘cultural pollution’, ‘vulgarization’and ‘phony-folk-cultures’. The background for such characteristics is often more or less romantic and the normative ideas of a former or prevailing authenticity. Ideally (to some) there should exist ancient cultures for modern consumers to gaze at, or even step into for a while, while travelling or on holiday. This is a cage modelthat is difficult to defend in a global world where we all, indigenous or not, are part of the same social fabric.

The following is hard to understand. It's hard to grasp even a bit of it.The background for such characteristics is often more or less romantic and the normative ideas of a former or prevailing authenticity.

 

[abaka]

Tourism does bring progress. More often than that, however, areas that attract many tourists lose their traditions and their unique, traditional culture.

Cultural pollution is the mixing of the unique local culture with the global monoculture.
Vulgarization is the loss of some of the local high culture because it is too difficult for tourists to appreciate and its practicioners start doing other things that more easily bring in tourist money.
Phony-folk-cultures are false imitations of past traditions, affected by the local inhabitants because (they believe) the tourists want to see that.

Tourism can result in all three.

Romantic ideals are people's notions of what is good, based purely on idealized rather than actual views of reality. "Simple good folk traditions of the past", etc.
Normative ideals are peoples notions of how things should be, based not on reality but on arbitrary rules of behaviour. "The past must be better than the present", etc.
When people seek authenticity, they are looking for the simpler life of the past uncorrupted by technology and globalism.


Cultural pollution, vulgarization, and phony-folk-cultures come about when tourists falsely idealize local and past traditions. They do so because they seek something not affected by technology or globalism.

The cage model is the idea that traditional culture should be preserved as though in a cage, unaffected by global change.
This is a false idea because all of mankind today are interconnected, and, whether people want it or not, share the same society.

 

[keannu]

Your explanation is beyond description, awesome! I can understand every detail of it.