Social Memory and Heritage Tourism Methodologies

The examination of social memory and heritage tourism has grown considerably over the past few decades as scholars have critically re-examined the relationships between past memories and present actions at international, national, and local scales. Methodological innovation and reflection have accompanied theoretical advances as researchers strive to understand representations, experiences, thoughts, emotions and identities of the various actors involved in the reproduction of social memory and heritage landscapes.

Social Memory and Heritage Tourism Methodologies describes and demonstrates innovations – including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches – for analysing the process and politics of remembering and touring the past through place. An introductory chapter looks at the history of social memory and heritage tourism research and the particular challenges posed by these fields of study. In subsequent chapters, the reader is lead through the varying methodologies employed by presenting them in the context of an in-depth case study from range of geographical locations. The resulting volume showcases innovative research in social memory and heritage tourism and provides the reader with insights into how they can successfully conduct their own research while avoiding common pitfalls.

This title will be useful reading for scholars, professionals and students in tourism, geography, anthropology and museum studies who are preparing to conduct research on the reproduction of social memory in particular landscapes and places or are interested in investigating heritage tourism practices and representations.

Stephen P. Hanna is Professor of Geography at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where he has engaged in research on landscape, memory, and race for the past decade. Articles related to this work appear in Cartographica, Social and Cultural Geography, Southeastern Geographer, and cultural geographies.

Amy E. Potter is an Assistant Professor of Geography in the Department of History at Armstrong State University. Her research interests include the African Diaspora, cultural ecology, plantations, and communication geography, with a regional focus on the American South and the Caribbean.

E. Arnold Modlin is the Geography Instructor at Norfolk State University in Virginia.  Dr. Modlin’s research interest focus on the relationships between memory, identity, tourism and geography, particularly as they involve the construct of race.

Perry Carter is an Associate Professor of Geography in the department of Geosciences at Texas Tech University.  His research interests include theorizing race, space, and identity in both tourism landscapes of the American South and postcolonial Africa.  Articles related to this work appear in Tourism Geographies, Aether: The Journal of media Geography, Historical Geography, and the Professional Geographer.

David L. Butler is a full professor and chair of the Department of Political Science, International Development, and International Affairs at The University of Southern Mississippi. Butler’s research interests include race and tourism.