Embodiment of feminine subjectivity by women of a tourism destination

Abstract

Research on women/gender in host communities has shifted towards a feminist perspective. In line with this trend, this paper further explores women's self-awakening and self-growth in a host community by considering feminine subjectivity based on Foucault's perspective, which is a critical feminism topic. This paper presents the case of the Cheongsam Sisters, a local women's group that participates in leisure activities in Yangshuo, China. Based on longitudinal and anthropological research, this work describes and interprets Cheongsam Sisters' feminine subjectivities at the individual level and the collective level. It is found that tourism development not only changes the gender structure in the host community but also provides conditions for the formation of feminine subjectivities. Furthermore, in the tourism context, the emergence of feminine subjectivities is a dynamic process, which means the feminine subjectivity iterate from the individual level to the collective level along with Cheongsam Sisters' practices. With these findings, this paper contributes to the literature on tourism impact by linking feminine subjectivity, women and tourism, which is critical to endogenous and sustainable development in underdeveloped destinations.

Keywords:

• Subjectivity
• women's leisure
• endogenous development
• rural tourism
• China

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Cheongsam Sisters for their kind sharing and help, our research assistant Luyang Li, the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and the Philosophy and Social Science Foundation of China for the funding (Grant No. 21AH16).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Siya Wang

Siya Wang is a Ph.D candidate of School of Tourism Management, Sun Yat-sen University, China. Her research interests include rural tourism and tourism sociology.

Jiuxia Sun

Jiuxia Sun is a professor of School of Tourism Management, Sun Yat-sen University, China. Her research interests include community tourism, tourism anthropology, tourism sociology and ethnic relations in tourism.