Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

Practices of tourism and consumption, and recent sociological interest in the relationship between them, have evolved as part of a broader shift within western societies from production-centered capitalism, with its focus on work and the conditions of labor, to consumer capitalism, with its emphasis on leisure, image, taste, style, and consumption. In fact, many sociologists consider tourism to be emblematic of the contemporary consumer culture that has emerged over the past century in western post-industrial societies. The development of the seaside resort in early nineteenth-century Britain reflects this shift. During the Industrial Revolution, the rationalization of the labor process resulted in a clear demarcation between work and leisure. For the first time, the working class had the time and the money to pursue leisure activities. At the same time, technological advances in transportation, such as the railway, made travel cheaply and readily available to the masses. Whereas seaside resorts had previously been reserved for the wealthy, the increase in wages, the introduction of paid holidays, and the democratization of transportation meant that even the working classes could holiday at the seaside every year. The era of mass tourism was born. During this same period, thanks to the increased availability of raw materials and advances in manufacturing technologies, consumer goods ... log in or subscribe to read full text