The Thanatourist: collected tales of the thanatourism experience
View/ open
Author
Dunkley, Ria Ann
Date
2007Type
Thesis
Publisher
University of Wales
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Whilst tourists' fascination with visiting sites associated with death and human tragedy
has received considerable academic and media attention, the scholarly literature on socalled
'dark' or thanatourism remains fragmented. Subsequently, this thesis draws on a
wide range of interdisciplinary literature and in depth, qualitative fieldwork to provide
insights into thanatourism experience. The research was conducted in three phases.
During the first phase I developed a thanatourism framework which recognises
thanatourism as a complex and variegated concept. The framework was used as a
conceptual starting point through which I identified a range of thanatourism sites at
which to conduct my fieldwork.
Thanatourist experiences are exceptionally personal and emotional and thus
required a 'hot approach' to research in order to reach the deep wells of tourist emotion.
In the second and third phases I involved nine thanatourists in an iterative series of
creative conversations before, during and after visits to various sites. Adopting a
reflexive approach and using the participants' own photographs I focus on
understanding the motivations and the emotional perceptions of those who visit
thanatourist sites. Also, using autoethnography enabled me to vividly reconstruct my
experiences, enriching the study and providing valuable insights into my own
motivations and emotions. The research is underpinned by an interpretivist paradigm,
and I use a bricolage of fieldwork and writing methods. Co-constructing the
participants' narratives strengthens the reflexivity and ensures that the researcher's
voice is not privileged, and thus the voices of the participants are heard alongside mine.
Finally, the accounts of the thanatourists are presented creatively through narrative,
poem and play. Adopting this interesting and compelling way to present material
allowed me to be playful in my fieldwork and to present emotionally evocative stories
of thanatourism experience through a chorus of voices. The study illustrates that
thanatourism experiences are complex and deeply meaningful for the individuals who
choose to embark on them.
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, subject and abstract.
-
An investigation into the possible reasons why people choose thanatourism experiences and to highlight distinguishing characteristics of visitors to the Imperial War Museum.
Churcher, Paul (Cardiff Metropolitan University, 2008)The aim of this dissertation was to investigate the possible reasons why people choose thanatourism and to highlight distinguishing characteristics of thanatourist visitors to the Imperíal War Museum. A Thanatourist, a ... -
Dark tourism: An investigation into people's motivations for visiting World War II concentration camps: A case study of Sachsenhausen and Auschwitz
Carter, Heloise Giulietta (Cardiff Metropolitan University, 2012)The fascination with death and disaster is everywhere. There is always something in the papers, in the news, about death. This fascination has gone beyond simply reading about it. It has now become a form of tourism, called ... -
A framework of music literacy based on the experiences of KS2 children, and their teachers, when music making in various outdoor, rural locations
Adams, Dylan (2019)This thesis investigates the experiences of Key Stage 2 children, aged 7-11 years old, when making music in outdoor rural locations. A framework of music literacy is constructed using analysis of the data obtained from ...