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" The relationship between poverty, holiday-taking and social policy : "
Smith, Vanessa Jeannette Emile.
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Latin Dissertation
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| Record Number
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1095264
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| Doc. No
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TLets389492
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| Main Entry
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Smith, Vanessa Jeannette Emile.
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| Title & Author
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The relationship between poverty, holiday-taking and social policy :\ Smith, Vanessa Jeannette Emile.
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| College
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Manchester Metropolitan University
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| Date
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1998
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| student score
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1998
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| Degree
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Ph.D.
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| Abstract
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Holiday participation, whilst widespread in modern Western societies, is notuniversal. Evidence points to the existence of a 'tourist class', the number of holidaystaken varying directly with socicreconomic status. Studies of tourist motivation, suchas those by Dann (1977), Crompton (1979) and Krippendorf (1984), have suggestedthat holidays provide necessary breaks from the stresses and rigours of everyday li,fe.Yet it is precisely those who are likely to gain most from the benefits a holiday ca~bring who are least able to afford one., Contemporary researchers into poverty suchas Townsend (1979) and Mack and Lansley (1985), have included an enforced lackof holiday-taking as a symbol of relative deprivation in post-industrial society. Thisstudy contributes to the understanding of the diversity of touristic experience byexploring the meaning and significance of the holiday for a particular sub-group ofHaukeland's (1990) category C non-travellers: disadvantaged families with youngchildren.Historical studies of sport and leisure-related activities indicate how, since the early20th Century, successive governments of differing political ideologies have intervenedwith market forces in an attempt to make opportunities to participate in sportavailable to all. This contrasts sharply with holiday-taking where the State does notcurrently recognise participation in holiday-taking as a universal need. Research intothe voluntary sector in Britain, such as that carried out by the Wolfenden Committee(1978), has highlighted inconsistencies in provision of services where charitablebodies are the sole, or major, suppliers. However, voluntary organisations such asthe Family Holiday Association (FHA) remain virtually the sole source of financialassistance enabling low-income groups to participate in holiday-taking.The initial stage of this study was a content analysis of letters written to the FHA bya sample of families on their return from a recent holiday. Topics generated by boththis analysis and the survey of literature were subsequently explored further by meansof in-depth, tape-recorded interviews held with five social workers and members of10 disadvantaged families. A number of meanings were attached to the holiday,many of them focusing on the importance of 'change' or an escape from routine. Aholiday was a positive experience away from home, which resulted in thestrengthening of family ties and improvements in physical and, particularly, mentalwell-being. New experiences could be enjoyed which gave purpose to an otherwisemeaningless lifestyle. Unlike Urry's (1990) 'gazers', this study group found, in theBritish seaside resort, the excitement and spectacle lacking in their own, everydaylives.The study discovered a geographical disparity in requests for, and allocation of,assisted holidays, alongside a supply of funds that was both irregular and ad hoc.Such findings confirm those of, for example, the Wolfenden Committee (1978),Johnson (1981) and Gratton and Taylor (1987) that voluntary provision is oftenirregular, not always providing services at point of need. It is argued, finally, that if'Tourism for All', like 'Sport for All', is to be implemented on any meaningful scale,the informal, voluntary, public and commercial sectors need to be unified asproviders of a 'mixed economy' of welfare. In this way, voluntary bodies such as theFHA, would be financially-supported by the government but would retain theircritical role of identifying real needs and influencing policy. By taking account of thehistorical development of policy in the field of sport and leisure, future researchmight usefully explore the most effective ways of extending participation in holiday taking.
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| Subject
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Social tourism; Deprivation
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| Added Entry
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Manchester Metropolitan University
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