Trudie Walters

Using Thematic Analysis in Tourism Research

This research note uses a case study approach to illustrate when and how to apply thematic analysis as a tool to interpret empirical material in tourism research and suggests a variety of research contexts in which its use may be appropriate. The case study demonstrates the value of thematic analysis in understanding and unpacking a body of rich, descriptive media text (such as magazine articles, social media, and marketing material). This note also establishes that thematic analysis can be successfully used with visual material, taking intertextuality into account to facilitate a well-balanced interpretation of underlying cultural meanings. A further strength is the ability to produce graphic representations of the analysis, which then provide a suitable structure for discussing the findings. Using research carried out on second-home articles in a New Zealand magazine from 1936 to 2012 to illustrate the process, a step by step description of how to apply thematic analysis to written and visual text is provided. It also provides a set of criteria to ensure the trustworthiness of the research output, and as such is a valuable guide to carrying out a rigorous thematic analysis of texts in a variety of tourism research contexts.; ;

The Participation of Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults in Nature-Based Recreation

ABSTRACT This investigation considers the participation of children, adolescents and young adults in nature-based recreation. We draw upon the recreation narratives of forty-seven adult recreationists in the activities of tramping, angling, hunting and mountaineering, obtained from in-depth interviews. In particular, the study considers the transitions from childhood through adolescence to young adulthood, and examines how our participants maintained their participation, or alternatively, disengaged from their activity over this period. The paper provides empirical support for the role of family, and early exposure to nature based recreation in fostering enduring participation. Failing this, the role of school, club and outdoor organizational support and mentoring, right through to tertiary study was highlighted. We also identify a critical role for unstructured outdoor play for young children in nature. The paper discusses challenges for this, and for mentoring, in both formal and informal senses, as pathways into nature-based recreation in an increasingly risk averse society.

The luxury of leisure and pleasure at the New Zealand second home

Second homes in New Zealand have a long history and are an important part of the New Zealand culture. Increasingly over the last few decades, the popular media has constructed ownership of the traditional second home, or ‘bach’, and the associated lifestyle, as democratic and as such, the antithesis of luxury. This paper provides a new perspective through an examination of media representations of leisure and pleasure at the second home in New Zealand through a thematic discourse analysis of Home New Zealand magazine. A critical examination of the representations of luxury through leisure and pleasure at the second home shows consistent and recurrent tropes over the years of publication. These include the luxury of eating, playing and relaxing. The paper argues that leisure and pleasure at the New Zealand second home, as represented in Home New Zealand, has always carried connotations of luxury. This provides a significant point of departure not only from the popular mass media constructions but also from much of the academic literature.

Second homes as sites for the consumption of luxury

This paper provides a critical longitudinal analysis of media representations of luxury in second homes in New Zealand and is designed to assess the validity of traditional definitions of second homes as anti-consumerist and the identification of ‘luxury’ second homes as a recent phenomenon. Using a thematic analysis of Home New Zealand magazine since its inception in 1936, this paper finds that second homes in New Zealand have always been sites for the consumption of luxury, as evidenced through representations of luxury in architectural design features, interior decoration and outdoor elements in the magazine. Generalised portrayals of second homes as anti-consumerist are therefore shown to be flawed. Furthermore, the paper finds that the architect-designed second home with its markers of luxury has existed since at least the mid-1930s in New Zealand and is therefore not a new phenomenon. The findings of this paper suggest that home and lifestyle magazines may be a valuable resource for second home research as they both influence and reflect societal values.

[Re]positioning second homes within leisure studies

Nearly 40 years ago, Coppock (1977) produced his ground-breaking Second Homes: Curse or Blessing? which, at the time, brought together in one volume the collective knowledge of second home scholars around the world. In the early years of scholarship, research was predominantly focused on describing the spatial distribution of second homes and the demographics and motivations of owners. Almost 30 years later, Hall and Müller (2004) brought together the controversial notions of elitism and egalitarianism in second homes in their edited volume Tourism, Mobility and Second Homes: Between Elite Landscape and Common Ground. New research directions in this volume included the investigation of deeper, more nuanced understandings surrounding the meanings associated with second home ownership (Quinn 2004), and the addressing of issues associated with mobility and social justice (Halseth 2004). Second home research has now also begun to emerge from countries and regions hitherto invisible to the academic gaze such as South Africa, Russia and Ireland (Visser 2003; Fitz Gerald 2005; Nefedova and Pallot 2013). Even in countries where second homes are presented as an integral part of society, a (somewhat) normative experience, such as Norway, Finland and New Zealand, researchers are now questioning such representations of national identity (Abram 2012; Pitkänen 2008). However, even though the underlying raison d’être of the majority of second homes may be recreation and leisure, this link seems to have largely been overlooked or forgotten; second home studies have been largely absent from the leisure studies literature. Our initial call for papers drew a gratifying response with nearly 30 abstracts received (thank you to all contributors) and it was with much discussion and careful thought that our shortlist was selected. This special issue of Annals of Leisure Research seeks to begin to address this absence from the leisure studies literature and each of the articles presented sheds light on a different aspect of the relationship between second homes and leisure. Furthermore, the papers published in this special issue represent a wide geographical spread and thus we hope to highlight new cultural perspectives on second homes and leisure practices. This broad spectrum of articles certainly contributes to the new direction and focus of the editorial team of Annals of Leisure Research and their desire to strengthen and internationalize the journal’s position (Carr 2013). We are in the privileged position of being the first issue of Annals of Leisure Research to include a critical commentary and we thank Chris Paris for his extremely insightful comments on the state of second home literature within leisure studies. Our appreciation

Towards a framework for measuring local government return on investment in arts and cultural development

ABSTRACT Local governments make a significant annual investment in arts and cultural development programmes. However, the practicalities of measuring the return on this investment have been largely overlooked by researchers, and investigations into return on investment have frequently focused on the economic return. Here, it is argued that intrinsic social and cultural returns on investment are equally important. A further issue is that measurement frameworks have often taken an outputs-based approach, seeking to evaluate the performance of one-off events rather than measuring the outcomes or impact of the total investment in arts and cultural development over the life of a policy or strategy. This paper therefore takes a broader, outcomes-based approach and offers a practical evaluation framework. An implementation-ready method is presented which will allow local government policy-makers to provide evidence of medium- and long-term outcomes and impacts of their arts and cultural development programmes and weigh this against their investment.

Gender equality in academic tourism, hospitality, leisure and events conferences

ABSTRACT Planned events can be considered as texts, conveying and interpreting the social order of a community. Academic conferences and conventions also represent a community; they convey and interpret the academic communitys social order. This paper turns the spotlight on planned events in tourism, hospitality, leisure and event studies and scrutinises gender equality at their academic conferences. This study analyses the field in 2017, through a critical examination of 53 such academic conferences around the globe. It finds gender inequality in two types of roles – Keynote Speakers and membership on Honorary Committees – where there is statistically significant under-representation of women. It also identifies areas of tension between some host association values/aims and conference aims/themes and actual gender representation in conference leadership roles, finding a gap between rhetoric and action. Finally, it discusses the implications of gender inequality on both women academics and knowledge production in these fields, and suggests avenues for future research.

How community event narratives contribute to place branding

Purpose To date, the importance of smaller, local community events in the place branding process has been overlooked in the place branding and event studies literature – yet they are recognised as a means of increasing the attractiveness of a place for residents, through building a sense of community and contributing to quality of life. The purpose of this paper is to make clear the contribution of community event narratives to place branding. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was adopted. The public narratives of a portfolio of 14 community events (from event websites, press releases and media discourse, local government strategic policy documents) were examined. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted, and a visual framework for analysing and discussing the findings was created. Findings Community event narratives provide a useful resource that could be drawn upon by place branding practitioners to reach potential new residents who share similar ideals as local residents. The findings from this study demonstrate that local community event narratives do indeed tell “stories about who we are”. Practical implications This paper has implications for place branding initiatives seeking to attract new residents, particularly where there is a sense of fear and resistance from residents about “outsiders” moving in. Originality/value This paper presents an alternative model to the traditional city branding campaigns that seek to attract new residents, in the form of a values-based event-led branding strategy that may be more appropriate and compatible with local stakeholder goals.

Facilitating well-being at the second home: the role of architectural design

Abstract Many studies have examined the benefits of second home ownership (here taken to mean those used primarily for the purpose of leisure and recreation rather than investment), and references to such second homes as sanctuaries and places of physical and psychological rejuvenation are common. This is frequently attributed to the physical landscape and natural environment the second home is located in; it is argued that re-connecting with nature has both tangible and intangible therapeutic benefits. However, the significance of the architectural design element of second homes in facilitating a sense of well-being has been overlooked in the literature. Representations of well-being at the second home in an architectural context are examined in this study, through a thematic analysis of second home articles in New Zealand’s first architecture and lifestyle magazine (Home New Zealand) from 1936 to 2015. The paper presents evidence that design elements may enhance benefits for well-being – whether those elements are architect-initiated or in response to a design brief from the owners. Furthermore, through taking a longitudinal approach, the study finds that designing for well-being at the second home has changed over the years, from a focus on physical well-being (health) to increasing emphasis on psychological well-being.

Caves to castles: the development of second home practices in New Zealand

ABSTRACT Using New Zealand as a case study, this paper turns a historical gaze to the development of second home practices, arguing that it is not possible to fully understand changes in second home practice through a narrow focus on housing policy. Rather, as second homes reflect the social, political, economic and cultural contexts in which they are situated, wider government ideology and policy changes, along with changing trends in leisure consumption, must be taken into account. The paper finds that in the 1880s when access to leisure and land tenure was limited, second home practice in New Zealand was very basic and male-dominated. Government-mandated access to leisure and favourable social welfare policies after 1945 meant second homes became the domain of middle-class families. The rhetoric of consumption also flowed into second home practices. The 1984 neoliberal policies led to wealth accumulation for some New Zealanders and rural outmigration for others, which was reflected in the rise of both luxury and re-use second homes. This paper provides useful baseline information for future research efforts, and encourages consideration of the broader implications of policy decisions (not just related to housing) at both national and local government level.