Local perceptions of slum tourism using creative ethnographic methods

Overview

This study will aim to consider the perspectives of locals about slum tourism in their areas. This will include the views of local residents as well as local stakeholders, those involved in slum tourism as guides, transport operators and accommodation providers along with persons who are not directly involved.

Project Details

The views of local stakeholders, and slum residents specifically, remain largely absent in slum tourism studies. This brings the issues of power and agency, and of presentation, to the fore.

Theoretically, this study aims to draw on political economy and decolonial theories to interrogate local perspectives and issues of power, agency and benefit in the context of slum tourism. This includes consideration of the role of women and gender equality.

We propose a qualitative study, using creative ethnographic methods. Creative ethnographic methods inter alia include using arts and/or photography, storytelling, collaborative mapping, and transect walks in participatory action research processes and settings.

Creative methods allows for a shift away from traditional ethnographic research focussed on participant-observation to co-creation – actively drawing locals into research process as co-creators of knowledge and meaning-making. This overcomes problematics, and colonial legacies, associated with traditional ethnography and social anthropology. Creative ethnography is a contemporary approach in critical studies often used in developing country contexts.

Further information

We are open to a study in either Southern or East Africa or alternatively the Philippines. We stress again the need for a PhD candidate who is from the study country and familiar with the local context and language(s).

Eligibility

The candidate will have a social science background and a relevant Master’s degree with a strong interest in tourism and awareness of poverty, inequality and development.

Fieldwork experience in the study country is preferred along with experiencing using ethnographic methods. Local language proficiency (of study country) is preferred.