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Tourist Studies
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Depathologizing the tourist syndrome

Tourism as social capital production

Bente Heimtun

Institute of Transport Economics, Norway, bhe{at}toi.no

The intention of this article is to discuss and contrast two central aspects of a published interview with Zygmunt Bauman addressing the nature of `the tourist syndrome' (Franklin, 2003). First, the tourist syndrome is a metaphor for contemporary living in liquid modernity and second, tourism is referred to as `a substitute satisfaction of a genuine need' (Franklin, 2003: 214). The interview presents a critical and somewhat sceptical perspective on tourism and social life, in which the tourist syndrome is labelled a `peg community' and the tourism industry characterized as an insatiable seducer. Based on the experiences of Norwegian midlife single women, a more positive notion is suggested. Although most of the midlife single women do not seek difference as tourists, the meaning of tourism is not superficial and/or contrived. It is rather a space for bonding with significant others and about social integration in everyday life.

Key Words: gender • mixophilia • mixophobia • peg community • social capital • social integration • tourist syndrome

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Tourist Studies, Vol. 7, No. 3, 271-293 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1468797608092513
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