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“Gazing” and “performing”: Travel photography and online self-presentation

“Gazing” and “performing”: Travel photography and online self-presentation This article illustrates the self-presentations young people foreground when they visually communicate international volunteer experiences to social media audiences. Through a “categorical-content” analysis of repeated semi-structured interviews and photographic content posted to Facebook, and with theoretical support from Urry’s “tourist gaze” and Goffman’s “presentation of self,” I describe three impressions “given” and “given off” within participants’ profiles. The findings reveal some familiar touristic scenes (necessitating tribute to the well-established “family” and “romantic” gazes) and also inspire a new gazing form (incorporating “gutsy” bodily experiences). However, these holiday-like portrayals were selectively disclosed and complicated by the sentiments participants expressed during face-to-face interviews. As different self-presentations were idealized in different settings, this article helps to elucidate the situational role of the audience and offers unique analytical insights that may not have emerged had I utilized one method in isolation. Its contribution is located within its intersections: blending gazing and performing frameworks, employing verbal and visual approaches, leading to etic and emic understandings. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Tourist Studies SAGE

“Gazing” and “performing”: Travel photography and online self-presentation

Schwarz, Kaylan C.
Tourist Studies , Volume 21 (2): 18 – Jun 1, 2021
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References (63)

Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021
ISSN
1468-7976
eISSN
1741-3206
DOI
10.1177/1468797620985789
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

This article illustrates the self-presentations young people foreground when they visually communicate international volunteer experiences to social media audiences. Through a “categorical-content” analysis of repeated semi-structured interviews and photographic content posted to Facebook, and with theoretical support from Urry’s “tourist gaze” and Goffman’s “presentation of self,” I describe three impressions “given” and “given off” within participants’ profiles. The findings reveal some familiar touristic scenes (necessitating tribute to the well-established “family” and “romantic” gazes) and also inspire a new gazing form (incorporating “gutsy” bodily experiences). However, these holiday-like portrayals were selectively disclosed and complicated by the sentiments participants expressed during face-to-face interviews. As different self-presentations were idealized in different settings, this article helps to elucidate the situational role of the audience and offers unique analytical insights that may not have emerged had I utilized one method in isolation. Its contribution is located within its intersections: blending gazing and performing frameworks, employing verbal and visual approaches, leading to etic and emic understandings.

Journal

Tourist Studies – SAGE

Published: Jun 1, 2021

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