making place: tourism, culture & global communication

The Class of 09

2009-04-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

Andrea Gudger: I'm originally from Pocatello, Idaho but have lived in Washington State most of my life. I am currently studying at the University of Washington in Seattle. I hope to move on to law school after I complete my undergraduate studies. I've always been interested in traveling to new places and meeting new people from all walks of life. I believe that through sheer interaction all people can get to know themselves and one another better. If I had to say one thing about myself that is a bit unusual it would be that I am a bit of a, "germophob." Most of my family tease me because I wont touch the shopping cart handles and I always try and wash my hands after handling any sort of money.

Ashley Foster: I'm from Arlington, Washington a small farming town about an hour north of Seattle. I am majoring in Communication and have a minor in International Studies. After graduating from the University of Washington I plan on pursing a career in public relations or human resources. My dream job would be to organize and market sporting programs for the NFL or MLS. When I'm not at work or school I love to be playing soccer, going hiking, and just being outside, especially if I can be on the water! One of my favorite things to do though is meet new people. I am super social and love to hear other peoples stories … especially if they make me laugh, I tend to be laughing and smiling all the time.

Ashley Jameson: I'm from Renton, Washington, about forty minutes south of Seattle. I'm finishing up my sophomore year at UW and am majoring in Communication. I hope to pursue a career in either public relations or marketing after I graduate. When I’m not at school or working, I love to spend time with my friends and family, watch movies, and go shopping. I grew up on a lake playing outside so as soon as the weather gets nice I try to spend as much time as I can out in the sunshine! I enjoy snowboarding and kick boxing and was a gymnast for fifteen years. I also love to travel (my favorite place I’ve been so far is Namibia, Africa) and eat junk food; I have a major sweet tooth!

Brian Farn: Originally from Taiwan, I moved to the USA in 1993. I'm a mid-Westerner who moved to Seattle to study Art and Journalism ... and fly fishing. I love to do a little bit of everything from soccer - go Red Devils! - to domestic and international policies on human rights. I play the drums, little bit of guitar and a song or two on the keys. I hope to work outside the USA as a journalist upon graduation ... or perhaps be the local fly fishing newspaper man (similar to Paul MaClean in A River Runs Through It).

Dana Zamuda: It's always difficult for me to explain where I am from because I have never lived in one area for more than three years. Currently I reside in Dupont, Washington. It's a small but growing suburb. I am currently a sophomore at UW and I plan to major in communication. I'm interested in traveling, meeting new people and learning about different cultures. I don't have a specific career choice in mind yet, but I'll figure it out soon! A couple activities I enjoy are going to music concerts and writing stories. One unusual thing about me is that I know how to crochet! I've made hats for friends and for myself. I find it stress relieving and fun.

Enrique Frias: I was originally born and raised in Yakima, Washington, but spent most of my life living in Pasco where I graduated from high school. Currently I’m a senior at the UW majoring in communication; however, my, ultimate aspiration is to attend medical school to become a primary care physician. For me, becoming a doctor means that I would be fulfilling an internal need of wanting to help and serve others. The concept of having the knowledge and prowess of being able to help others and to potentially be able to save somebody’s life are what really drive to meet this goal. A few of my hobbies: when I have the time, I enjoy playing guitar by myself or with friends, playing video games is always a sure bet, and “knee-dragging” while riding my motorcycle (taking turns very fast). A couple of interesting facts about me would be that I served in a combat zone in Iraq with the U.S. Army for 12 months, one of a few quotes that I live my life by is “All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing”.

Eun Jung (Yuna) Kim: I'm from South Korea and now live in Bellevue, WA. I'm studying Communication and Interdisciplinary Visual Art. I love singing. Music is my passion. I want to pursue music in my 20s to early 30s and I want to eventually teach art at a University. But it may change as it always has been (what can I say, I'm a free spirited person). I like watching movies, going to concerts, reading, involving in politics, swimming, getting to know people, shopping, painting, and dancing! I was an exchange student in the U.S when I was 15. I fell in love with the multicultural country and decided to dig deeper about culture in college. I'm curious about everything and I love to gain knowledge and to understand better about people and life in general.

Jillian Lewallen: I was born in Casper, Wyoming, surrounded by beautiful lakes and open plains. My entire family has lived in Casper for four generations and I am the first person to venture to the Northwest. I am a Sociology and Communications double major, an interest that stems from my love of people and their different cultures. I grew up in a small community of farmers and ranchers so I am beyond stoked to travel to Europe and begin exploring! I am a very extroverted person, I love shopping my way through farmer's markets and learning new things along the way. When I have some downtime, I enjoy reading books and drinking coffee from local cafes and brunch spots. I also have a secret geeky obsession with the board game Monopoly, I play as often as possible and own over 60 different versions! I hope to combine my passion for culture and people into a human or public relations job somewhere in Europe once I graduate. I have always had a secret desire to settle in an old villa somewhere in Tuscany and grow old with lots of vineyards and wine.

Jocelyn Maher: I'’m from Bainbridge Island, WA, a beautiful thirty-five minute ferry ride outside of Seattle. I’m currently a freshman and prospective Communication and Drama major. I hope to pursue a career as a professional actress, but am also considering a career within the public relations field, or possibly global communications. My favorite activities include acting and being involved in the wonderful world of the theatre, spending time with my friends and watching movies. An important thing to know about me is how much I love to laugh! No matter what mood I’m in having a good old giggle always puts me in even better spirits. I’m so excited for this opportunity to learn more about travel and global communication, and of course seeing everything Switzerland has to offer.

Kwok Hang (Lillian) Young: I'm originally from Hong Kong and I came to Seattle when I was fifteen. I am currently a Senior at UW. I'll be graduating this Summer with a degree in Communication and a minor in Architecture. I like learning about the correlation between people, places, cultures, and societies, especially about our interactions with urban space. My career goal is to increase people's awareness about their neighborhood and community. In the future, I would like to work on community renovation and revitalization projects, or something related to the arts. I like traveling around, seeing new things and ideas, and also spending time with friends and family. I love art and design and food of all kind. And I think I'm addicted to chocolate as well (DARK chocolate only)!!

Nora Andrews: I'm originally from a small town in Washington called Yakima but am now living in Seattle. I'm a junior majoring in communication and my career goal is to be in the pharmaceutical industry. I love to spend time with my friends, listen to music, and watch movies. I am very out going and enjoy meeting new people and hearing about their life experiences - I find it very intriguing. I've never had the opportunity to travel so I'm very excited to explore different ways of life, different ways of thinking, and all around different cultures.

Rebecca Collins: This will be the summer between my sophomore and junior year at the University of Washington. I've lived in Woodinville, WA (about 20 minutes north of Seattle) for my entire life and I am proud to say that I reside in the same house that my Dad built for my family about 23 years ago. Currently I live in a sorority at UW and was elected House Manager this year. I'll be majoring in Journalism with a focus on International Relations and Communication; I'm also minoring in Environmental Science and Resource Management. My goal in life is to be a writer for National Geographic or Discover Magazine where I will hopefully be able to travel all over the world, knocking off as many items on my bucket list as I can. I live for the outdoors and extreme sports like dirt-biking, snowmobiling, cliff jumping and flying. When I was a young teenager I actually raced snowmobiles (Snocross) on the weekends during the winter season. I also hiked Mount St. Helens (Washington State's famous volcano) last summer with my best friend and will hopefully summit Mt Rainier next summer.

Sean Larin: I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. I love this area because I can enjoy the city but still be close enough to the mountains for hiking and camping. Currently, I am pursuing an Economics and Communication double major. Public relations is an area I hope to build a career in. I enjoy spending my time being active with friends and being outdoors. I consider myself to be an easy going person that is always up for a new adventure. I usually spend most of my summer months driving cars at the local racetrack, a hobby that I am very passionate about!

Stephanie Grab: I'm from Kent, Washington, about 45 minutes south of Seattle. I am a junior at the University of Washington and am a Communication major. After I graduate, I hope to attend the University of Washington's College of Education to earn a Master in Teaching degree and become a third grade teacher. My favorite things to do are sing, perform on stage, and spend time with my family and friends. I'm very excited to be going to Switzerland because I am half Swiss; my grandfather immigrated from Switzerland in 1948 and my father holds dual citizenship with the United States and Switzerland. This will be my first time in Switzerland and I can't wait to experience the culture and lifestyle of my family's heritage.

Stephanie Rasmusson: I have lived in Redmond, Washington, a small suburb close to Seattle, for mostof my life. This is my junior yearat UW and have loved my college experience so far. I plan on majoring in Communications and getting a minor inMusic. My goal is to eventuallywork in the music industry and have been working in the industry as an internfor the last two years. I love theoutdoors and doing any kind of activity that is active. I love soccer, snowboarding, and yogaand I love trying new things, especially traveling! I am a positive andeasy-going person who loves getting to know new people. I have been toInterlaken once before, but only for two days, and cannot wait to be back!

The instructors - behind the scenes

2009-04-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

As in 2008, Crispin Thurlow (aka Walter Tell) and Kris Mroczek (aka William Tell) are directing this seminar. (The image is from a 2008 touristic moment outside the Tellspiele, Interlaken.)

The 2009 seminar

2009-04-25T15:31:00.000-07:00

This second Global Communication exploration seminar is designed to help students understand some of the human consequences of globalization by studying the important role communication plays in tourism as a global cultural industry. As the world’s single largest trade, tourism is a powerful factor in shaping everyday interpersonal, intercultural and inter-national communication. Nowhere is this more apparent than Switzerland – the birth place of modern tourism and a country which embodies the challenges and successes of multilingualism, multi-culturalism and multinationalism. Since the 1850s, Switzerland and especially Interlaken (our base for the seminar) have organized and promoted themselves as the quintessential tourist destinations. It was actually between June 26 and July 15 in 1863 that Thomas Cook organized the first ever organized tour of Switzerland. And, in the face of global warming, European/EU politics, and international economics, this “production of place” is also being constantly revised.

The seminar is intended to be an enjoyable learning-by-doing experience and students are involved in a series of practical projects involving different theoretical issues and key research skills (e.g. visual ethnography, text analysis). In doing so, they examine the linguistic, visual, material and spatial strategies used to represent and promote Swizterland as a global tourist destination. They also study how visitors and local people interact in tourist sites. It’s in this way that the seminar addresses the darker side of tourism as well, by considering how the making of place and the production of culture always overlook many areas of life. So, for example, one assignment entails students undertaking “counter tourism” in Geneva, following non-touristic routes through this global diplomatic city and developing an alternative tour-guide script. Through a series of scholarly readings, fieldtrips and hands-on projects students are asked to evaluate critically the implications of tourism for human communication on both a local scale and a global one.

William Tell (me what to do)

2008-08-16T08:58:00.001-07:00

Assignment #6

2008-07-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

Assignment #6 was based in the French-speaking region of Geneva, where our class focused on Counter tourism. This entailed looking at a map of the city, identifying the “tourist” zone and then traveling to an area outside of that zone. We were to take a bus with no particular destination in mind, traveling 15-20 minutes in any given direction. This assignment required for us to create a “travel guide,” identifying the area’s history, notable restaurants, and landmarks worth visiting (parks, churches, etc.). Our class of sixteen was divided into groups of four, and below are some interesting ethnographic observations from the class.

• Each group noted that they encountered confused locals wondering why tourists would be outside of Geneva and in more remote areas outside of the city. A couple groups were informed by these locals “This is not Geneva, you know?” or that there was no reason for them to be in the “non-touristy” areas.

o There is a general belief that tourists should stay where they “belong,” as it was a rather foreign concept for tourists to be in cities that were not especially catered for us. This does not simply apply to the Swiss, but for tourism in general; even if we were to discover tourists in Aurora, Washington, we would most likely have a similar reaction.

o Although our class felt generally out of place experiencing Counter tourism, the locals were very friendly and tried helping the best they could. Often times, these areas had less English-speakers, however, several of our classmates spoke French and managed to ask basic navigational questions.

• Each location that the four groups visited were a little different from each other, but there was much to discover nonetheless about the people and lifestyles of these Swiss locals. Some areas were more for the middle class, whereas other areas observed were lower income families filled with apartment complexes.

o In Lancy, it is a predominantly a residential area of middle class apartments. It was difficult to communicate with the locals, as English was not spoken commonly in the city. However, there were several parks, although most of the citizens present were in a popular outdoor pool. Nearby, there were cafes and small restaurants under an apartment area, yet shopping centers were absent within this community. The key features were a beautiful Notre Dame church, the pool/community center, and the family-friendly parks. The ease of navigating through this city was quickly noticed as well, as it was in close proximity to the bus stop where the students arrived.

o In Viernier-Village there were stone streets lined with English-style homes. The use of English was virtually nonexistent, but nonetheless, it was described as a very pleasant and beautiful city. The ambience of this area was described to be the most valuable tourist “attraction,” and there were several water fountains, churches, and parks in the area. It was quiet within the city, but was swarming with people inside of restaurants and cafes. Lastly, there was a welcoming peacock to greet locals from Geneva into the high-class area of this village.

o In Fluorine, there was a large hospital in the center of the city. There were nicer apartments throughout the city, and highly populated parks for families and workers. In addition, there was an impressive flea market in the main community area. The most interesting field notes from Fluorine, however, was the frustration the students encountered in simply trying to escape from the tourist area of Geneva. It was said that it was equally stressful to get out of the tourist area as it was navigating within it, and it was mentioned that there seemed to be a “centrifugal force” as the same bus would keep going all around Geneva.

o In Meyrin, the area was about ten minutes from the French border, and the French culture was very much embedded in the lifestyle of these people. Almost every other vehicle at the main community/shopping center had a French license plate, and there were a number of French restaurants and creperies. This area was of a lower class, as there were a number of apartment complexes. In addition, there was very few people within this city, as most locals commute to Geneva for work each day. The shopping center we discovered had a CoOp, Migros, as well as other restaurants and clothing stores, although there were virtually no shoppers inside. There was a theater as well in this area, however, it was closed off by bars and closed to the public. Even though there were a couple parks in this area, it is not meant for tourists by any means as there was limited things to do.

Overall, this assignment demonstrated what could be discovered (or not discovered) when stepping out of the normal boundaries suggested for tourism. In addition, there are ideological ways that the world and spaces are represented and normalized, and social politics definitely play a role in this. Whether on tourist maps, world maps, and the like, historical narratives are written for the locals and tourists of Geneva that allow boundaries and spaces to be perpetuated.

Linguistic Landscape in Basel

2008-07-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

This week was about observing linguistic landscapes. Places and spaces are social and cultural, but they are also linguistic. How and where language is, and how space is created by language was observed by walking round Basel. We also took photos of our findings that gave insight to the following questions:

• How is space created by language?
• Where is language?
• What languages are there?
• Where is there parallelism and equality of language
• Where is official and unofficial language
• When and where is English?

Walking around Basel revealed a linguistic landscape, which we all captured with our photos. We saw that German was the most prevalent language, however English was also placed in certain areas. Overall, English was most common near the vicinity of the Train Station and lessened as we ventured outward. We also noticed that English was present in consumer areas like restaurants, shops, and theaters. In many Asian restaurants, English and the Asian language were the only languages used for the window signs. In other cases, English, Chinese, then German would be used from top to bottom. We learn from our readings in Coupland (2009) that language being placed first or on the top gives the status of an ideal language. English commonly followed under German for official and unofficial signs such as directories, but this was not always the case. English was the language used with official warning or danger signs. The prevalence of English in these important signs, expresses the ideal that English is the universal language and is the most effective to use. Parallelism and equality were seen with English and German in many unofficial linguistic landscapes, but English was usually under German. Both languages displayed next to each other show equality in how both languages are viewed. It was very common in most of our experiences to generally see English alongside or under German. Some instances were unique, and broke the standard. One person saw a stop sign just like the ones in the U.S. Another person saw a “Corner Store”, “Beauty Shop”, and many of us saw for the first time, “sale” signs instead of “soldes”. Also any ads for Eurocup were in English.

For more pictures of linguistic landscape in Basel:
http://picasaweb.google.com/com322cameron/Linguiscapes

assignment 7-- the ethnography of things

2008-07-17T03:50:00.000-07:00

We get meaning from the objects we buy, and this meaning may change when it gets to its destination. We, as a class, have followed the path of three products all over Switzerland to see how they are represented and marketed to both the Swiss and the tourists that are everywhere.

Swiss Army Knife (Victorinox):
This product is romantized through its placement on various cushions and behind glass cases. Its functionality, usefulness, and durability are representative of the Swiss culture through the advertisements and posters, but are curiously mostly geared to English speakers. The essence or aura of the Swiss Army Knife as a commodity is often overshadowing its actual intended use as a utility knife. There is high value on this product as "authentically Swiss" compared to other knock-offs or similar useful knives lacking the representation of Swiss-ness.

Swatch:
Swatch is synonymous with the mythology of Swiss precision and punctuality, and we have found that the value is equal to its practicality, and many Swiss people wear these watches proudly.
This product is often found for sale under actual Swiss clock towers, which shows how important time is to the Swiss culture.

Toblerone chocolate:
This product has taken on an iconic Swiss image, as it is modeled after the Matterhorn-- arguably the most famous and recognizable mountain in the country. This product is found in all locations where tourists are: namely gift shops and duty-free airport shops. Even though it is beloved by tourists, the actual chocolate product is regarded as lower-end by Swiss chocolate standards, but popular among the grocery-store chocolate market. It can be found in Swiss confectionaries, but its usually used to draw in customers to the shop without being the main focus.

As we have done our ethnographies of these objects, we have drawn conclusions about what they really represent to their market. They are a representation of Swiss-ness that tourists can take home a part of to become part of what Morgan & Pritchard would call their "identity" and "memory" once they are back at home.

Lugano

2008-07-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

I thought this blog needed more pictures, so here are some from Lugano.

Assignment 4 - Rethinking Non-Places

2008-07-13T02:40:00.000-07:00

Notes:

Student packs: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Student packs getting off train: xxxxx

Student groups seem to be prevalent, seem to be coming back from school.
Students are in normal casual clothes most have backpacks.
Seem to travel in packs.
Most are generally pretty loud.

No Tourists(30 mins in)

Business People: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
There are probably a lot more, but this is all I noted.
Business attire for a lot of the professionals that get off and on the trains.
Seem to know where they are going
Dont seem to talk to anyone

Not collective loneliness, but kinda seem lonely but happy at the same time,happy to come home I guess.

There dont seem to be any tourists at all, have stopped looking at the business people and students to find the tourists, 20 minutes and nothing.

Assignment Answers:

I decided to do my assignment at the Karlsruhe HBF, which is the main station in Karlsruhe, Germany. I went in with a few assumptions based on what I had seen in my previous ethnography and was quite surprised to see that it was completely different, the main reason for this is because there were actually no noticeable tourists that I saw at the station for the hour and a half that I was taking notes. I think the most counter intuitive and noteworthy thing about the station was the fact that everything was so efficient compared to the bus station that I sat at in Interlaken Ost, every single person that I saw seemed to have their agenda down at the station, and as Wood described the station seemed to just be a tunnel, a terminal space, people just went there to get to their destination.
The station was even divided up in a way that was more convenient for people who didn't want to have to go through the hustle and bustle of the commercial part, there are two different ways to get to the trains, you can do so from a commercial entrance(which not very many people did) or you could take the more popular back entrance which is equipped with escalators and stairs. In the hour and a half I did not see one person that looked lost and didn't know where to go, even I on my trip back to Basel had a relatively easy time finding out exactly which gate my train was at, after doing so I felt an extreme sense of pride over the fact that I didn't get lost(which often times is the case), and I have the efficiency and good signage of the train station to thank for that.

One thing that I did realize about the people who were traveling was the fact that everybody seemed to know exactly where they were going, not one person seemed like they were out of place, I guess that I personally was the one who seemed out of place with my laptop taking notes about the passers by. A few connections that I made were the fact that the students seemed to stick to groups, while the business men/women seemed to all be lone rangers. That was predominantly the crowd that was at the train station from 3:30pm to 5:00 pm on Monday.

I personally do not believe that I saw any collective loneliness, the way that it is described in the paper alludes to the fact that the person who is feeling the collective loneliness is a traveler, most of these people while they were travelers, in the most basic sense, seemed to know exactly where they were going and exactly what they were to expect. The students seemed to be coming back from school and the business people seemed to be heading home from work, everyone seemed kind of happy because of this and didn't show any signs of collective loneliness.
I found it to be really peculiar that I did not notice any tourists, because they are the ones who tend to display the characteristics of collective loneliness, especially when they think that they are lost. Again this takes me back to the efficiency of the station, maybe there were tourists and they just were able to find their ways much easier because of the simplicity of the signage.

I would definitely say that this station was a terminal space, people just wanted to get in and out and there was little thought paid towards anything otherwise, and I would strongly stray towards saying that this train station was omnitopic with most train stations we normally see in Europe, other than the fact that at a closer inspection you would realize that the signage, which I have to admit I was very impressed by, was much better than most stations I have visited.

Quotes:

* "I felt dizzy stepping out of my craft."
I personally believe that this describes the feeling anyone feels arriving at a new place, because of the irregularities as well as the supposed regularities, I personally felt a weird sensation as I first arrived in Zurich as well as first arriving in Interlaken, a little lost, a little confused, and just a little dizzy.

* "No sooner had he arrived from his Mauritain trip than he began once again of going somewhere else."
I know that during my travels I always try and take time to bask in the supposed greatness that a place or culture has to provide, and as soon as I have done that I start to think of new places and new cultures that I would also like to experience, in this sense I believe that this quote really appeals to me.

* "I felt lonely, but for once this was a gentle, even pleasant kind of loneliness."
I personally enjoy being alone, secluded on occasion, and I believe that the separation that I felt from the group as a whole was at least as it is described here a pleasant loneliness.

* "One might find a MSP pin in Minneapolis, some Silicon Valley t-shirts in San Jose, or an "I love TIA" bumper sticker in Tampa."
This wasn't really as much a quote as it is an observation, I personally love to see all of the local clothes people wear to showcase where they are from or the pride they feel for their hometown or state, I do it myself and think that it is a good cultural symbol.

* "Woman who loves Brazil has only seen four square miles of it."
I thought this was a particularly interesting quote, and have thought about it several times, especially in my travels, what exactly is the "experiencing" of another country, when can I say that I truly have been to a certain country and not just visited and seen a few sights? These are questions I've asked myself when traveling trying to take up as much of certain cultures as I can, while also trying to learn some of the not so touristy things about these exotic places.

On top of the world

2008-07-06T05:28:00.000-07:00

Task 3: Communicating Swissness

2008-07-03T03:49:00.000-07:00

Directions: Explore Zurich to see how Zurichness, Swissness, Europeanness, and finally globalness is communicated/displayed/made known. Guiding Questions: What is shown? What is not shown? What are some things you found that are odd/unexpected?

Findings:
The class, through their observations, discovered multiple tensions playing within the portrayal of the cities. These are:

The traditional vs. the modern
Relaxed vs. happening
Quiet spaces vs. loud
Rural vs. urban
Tourists vs. locals
Youth vs. Old(er)
Local vs. global
Exotic vs. familiar

Traditional vs. Modern:
-This interplay was found in a variety of ways including:

"Traditional" looking buildings that had been remodeled/renovated inside
Hotels advertising a "traditional Swiss environement/experience with modern amenities"
Restaurants with traditional Swiss cuisine "with a modern twist"
Prevalence of technology
Transportation systems

Relaxed vs. Happening

Attractions promoted: malls, stock exchange, festivals and events vs. churches, parks, lake/mountain viewing

Quiet vs. Loud

Hotels and restaurants advertising quietness
Boat ride with no guide/commentary, focused on more quiet observation
In reality, Zurich is a very busy, noisy city

Rural vs. Urban

Urbanity of the city of Zurich contrasted by the mountains and lake, and the promotion in advertising material of the lake, river, and mountain views
Central city area with no other villages or cities around lake
Strangeness in the fact that rarely were the homeless seen in the city, like we would expect of other large cities, especially in the US

Tourists vs. Locals

Abundance of locals in a cafe that didn't seem to cater to tourists
Locals used in promotional material for city, but there are also "tourist" activities to partake in and places to see that would be more "touristy"
Duality in the single space of city for both locals and tourists

Youth vs. Old (Businessmen)

Promotional material mostly shows youth "hanging out" in the city
In reality, the city is very geared toward businessmen, who frequent the city and are in abundance
Zurich Guide has over 10 pages of advertisement for high class escorts, with photos of older businessmen with very young "hot" women

Local vs. Global

Multilingual space--multiple languages used
Abundance of flags in the city--mostly Swiss or Cantonal flags, but also flags from other countries; these flags were on buildings, food labels, even on donuts
McDonalds and Starbucks in city

Exotic vs. Familiar

Familiar elements (like Starbucks, English language) mixed with exotic (Swiss food and cafes, other languages used, more abundance of sex/erotic services advertised openly)
Advertised comfortability, recognizability and ease

For the Swiss-- major grocery stores from other parts of the country in Zurich
For Europeans--prevalence of bicycles, cafes
For tourists-- attractions, events, festivals, experiences; also global brands like mentioned above

Pictures:

Swissness even in the donuts!

Italian, French, and German flags displayed with Swiss flag

-This overview brought to you by the amazing Johannah and Kristy!

Assignment Two: In Search of Authenticity, Ethnicity and Performance

2008-06-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

After settling into our home stays and getting used to life in Interlaken, the group took our first trip together to the city of Glarus. About a three-hour train ride from Interlaken, Glarus is towards the northwest of Switzerland. Unlike our host town of Interlaken, Glarus does not appeal to many individuals, especially tourists. In fact, many members of our group were asked why we were there. After a great deal of observation and exploration, many field notes were gathered which led to stimulating conversation the next day.

Question #1: What do you learn about Glarus? How and where do you learn?

When we stepped off the train in Glarus, the group immediately began to see the vast differences between Glarus and Interlaken. Glarus is simply not a tourist town or village by any stretch of the imagination. A train station employee gave some students a city map and pointed them in the direction of the local protestant church. Other students asked locals what they should see. One group described a Glarus native being stumped by that question and saying there was little to nothing for them to see in the city. Another group reported their experience at a local café. The menus were all in German and the waitress spoke poor English. While the methods of finding information about Glarus varied from group to group, all of us came to the consensus that it is a so-called “normal” Swiss village not attempting to achieve widespread tourist appeal.

Question #2: What can New Glarus tell us about old Glarus?

New Glarus is a town in Wisconsin that was first founded by Swiss immigrants to America. Now it has grown into an American tourist trap with debatably authentic Swiss-style chalets, yodelers, and other attractions with the sole purpose of recreating Swiss culture in one part of America. Comparing new and old Glarus helped the group discover what the differences are between “traditional and authentic Swissness.” New Glarus is a very “traditional” Swiss village that is less “authentic.” On the contrary, old Glarus is an “authentic” Swiss village that is less “traditional.” An authentic village or town does not need flags on every building, red flowers in every windowsill, and chalets on every street corner to be Swiss. That is Switzerland on a post card. Glarus simply rejects that notion of “Swissness.”

Question #3: What evidence do you find for the staging of Glarus and or “Swissness?”

Staging refers to the concept of building a city, town or village around the idea of tourism. It is concerned with presenting the destination in the best possible light to make it enjoyable for tourists and make them want to come back. Our group discussions primarily found there to be little staging of Glarus. A few class members did, however, point out the geography of the city itself could have been a staging technique. The COOP, restaurants and bars were all within close proximity to the train station. This makes it easy for visitors to simply get off a train and walk across the street for a beer or some food. The city also staged the concept of “Swissness.” Being a host country for Euro Cup 08, Switzerland has a great deal of banners and posters all throughout its cities, villages and towns. Glarus is no exception to this. The numerous ads and the central fan zone in the town square demonstrate Glarus’ contribution to Euro Cup 08. The group believed this to be a staging of Swiss culture and its pride for their country and its ability to perform and regulate a European wide sporting event with great success.

Question #4: What evidence of the “backstage” can you see, if any?

In tourism, the backstage refers to things that are not usually seen by the eyes of a tourist on a regular basis. The group felt there were many examples of the backstage in Glarus. Instead of being drawn to sites across the city on a map, most group members simply walked around the city looking for nothing in particular. Cameron bumped into a man carving wood sculptures in his back yard. Other people watched kids kick a soccer ball around or locals eating in the cafes and restaurants. Our discussion led to the groups’ basic consensus that Glarus is simply a backstage of Switzerland. Nevertheless, this does not make the town any less Swiss. In fact, it helped pose the question of what true “Swissness” really is. Our class will examine this question further as the class evolves.

Posted by Jordan Van Vleet and Maggie McVey

Assignment 1: The "Baggage" of Travel

2008-06-26T03:11:00.000-07:00

Question 1: Read the extracts from Alain de Botton (2002) and summarize his main ideas about the purpose of travel. Why do we travel? What's the point?

In the first extract, de Botton writes about traveling as a search for happiness. We're drawn to certain places by enticing images or ideas, even though reality is usually different from what we anticipate it to be. In de Botton's case, he was inspired to travel to Barbados by a brochure with a beach and palm trees. Although he was focused on this image of Barbados before the trip, he found that it was an extreme abbreviation of his experience. He discovered that happiness does not simply come from traveling to these places, we must satisfy our emotional and psychological needs first. In addition, we travel to find ourselves, but we also travel both in hopes of leaving ourselves at home and leaving a piece of ourselves where we traveled.

Question 2: Now read the first extract ("Bernese Oberland") by Jemima Morrell (1863). What strikes you about her account of Switzerland? What things or practices does she describe which you think are recognizably "touristic" by today's standards? Make a list of all the places/sights she mentions - be ready to see how many of them you get to visit/see.

Places she mentions:

Col de Forclaz
Martigny
St. Bernard
Sion
Sierre
Leukerbad
Albinen
Gemmi
Daubensee
Vale of the Gastern
Kandersteg
Frutigen

We were struck by Miss Jemima's detailed descriptions of the landscape: the snowcapped mountains , the valleys, flowers and trees. It was interesting to read that the most satisfying days of her journey were spent outside, away from the cities. We also noticed that she was very interested in the bizarre or entertaining aspects of a person, place or activity. For example, she watched a group of people bathing because she thought it was interesting and entertaining.

Some of her practices that were recognizably "touristic" by today's standards include the artist who sketches the landscapes. This person could be compared to a tourist who takes pictures of all of the places they see. Also, she travels in a group with a guide and keeps a journal that is a narrative of all the places she got to see. Even back in the 1800s, Jemima was still a tourist just like we are today.

Question 3: Write a journal-like account of your own preparations for traveling to Switzerland, the expectations you have for Switzerland, and the experience of traveling to Switzerland, etc.

All of us had different experiences packing and preparing to trek all the way to beautiful Interlaken, Switzerland. Some of us had bags that were 25 lbs too heavy for the plane, and some of us brought only a backpack. Some of us stayed on a terrace in Italy before arriving to the program, and some of us arrived just in time. Some of us lost all of our luggage in the midst of changing planes and trains, and some of us wish we had left some of our luggage at home. Some of us have never been off the continent of North America, and some of us have traveled all over the world.

Regardless of how we got here, we're all very excited to continue exploring all that Interlaken and the rest of Switzerland have to offer!

- Courtney Gosnell & Emily Eggers

We're here!

2008-06-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Tourismus Interlaken and the International Friendship Association of Interlaken (IFAI), we celebrated our arrival in Switzerland in style: on top of the Metropole Hotel in Interlaken with the spectacular Jungfrau behind us. ("Top of Europe" hats were a gift from the IFAI.) And now the seminar begins...

The SBB website

2008-05-20T10:32:00.001-07:00

Here's a picture of Interlaken Ost train station which will be one of our major meeting spots. There a Migro store - major grocery chain in Switzerland. This is also where you can buy a pay-as-you-go calling cards for your cell phones, etc. Click on the image to connect to the main SBB (Swiss rail system) website.

Updated schedule and train timetable

2008-05-10T09:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a revised, updated schedule for the course - major outings in blue, minor outings in green and voluntary group activities in red. There are a total of 12 outings/acitvities altogether.

In order to help everyone starting making their independent travel arrangements, there is also a downloadable train timetable which shows the proposed train times and connections for each of the outings and activities - numbered from 1 to 12 as in the schedule and also marked in blue, green or red.

Note: Anyone planning a trip into Germany on the weekend of 4-7 July is welcome to come directly to Basel on the Tuesday morning (i.e. 8th) rather than returning all the way through to Interlaken for the Monday (i.e. 7th). You will have to be in Basel to meet us at the main station (Haupt Bahnhof) for 0954. (Oh, and start getting used to the 24-hour clock!)

"The Top of Europe"

2008-05-05T23:24:00.001-07:00

It's confirmed! We're headed to the Top of Europe!

And here's the route to the top - from Interlaken at the bottom:

Our superlative class

2008-04-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

Jolly, Rambunctious, Careful, Talkative, Magnificent, Delightful, Curious, Kinetic, Enthusiastic, Daring, Super, Crafty, Charismatic, Keen, Joking, Alluring, Jubilant.

Pretty amazing, huh? This is how we describe ourselves when asked to name a personality trait which starts with the first letter of our first names. Looks like Switzerland's in for a good time!

(Who's who: Jen, Rachel, Courtney, Tameka, Maggie, Delaney, Crispin, Kris, Emily, Diana, Sara, Cynthia, Cameron, Kristy, Jordan, Andy, Johannah.)

Framing/selling Switzerland - STA style

2008-04-21T14:46:00.001-07:00

I just picked up the latest Europe brochure from the STA office, and here's the coverage of Switzerland (click on page image below). I think it's what we might call "just passing through"! One thing you might like to see are the snippets of Swiss culture which are being promoted. Just make sure you get some too when you're there!

Draft schedule/syllabus

2008-04-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

Click here for a PDF copy of our schedule for the course. This schedule also starts to map the broad outline of our syllabus (i.e. main academic content areas). While some of the content specifics may be subject to change, there will be no changes made to the main "independent travel" dates.

Our Facebook presence

2008-03-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

Here we are!

2008-02-09T09:33:00.001-08:00

Delaney Bolin: I was born and raised in Seattle, I grew up in the Green Lake neighborhood, two blocks away from the Lake itself. Growing up that close to water has made me an avid swimmer and, if its warm enough, you'll most likely find me in the closest body of water. I'm majoring in Communication. I hope to use my degree to obtain a job in the marketing industry. I enjoy meeting new people and learning about the differences in the ways we live, laugh, and enjoy life. When I'm not studying, I love to hang out with my boyfriend and my friends, watch movies and read fiction. Another passion of mine is poetry. One other thing you should know about me: my incredible ability to NOT let negative things effect me too much. I have never stayed upset for more than a few minutes. Life is too precious to live it angry or worried.

Andy Dean: I'm from Renton Washington- a small but growing suburb located south of Seattle. Right now I'm covering my prerequisites to major in Communication and Business. I hope to focus either or both of those majors towards marketing and especially commercials and add conception and design. My career goal would be to own my own advertising company and make a 30 second TV spot for the Super Bowl. My one big interest in life is sports. I am probably watching or playing them in most of my free time. An interesting fact about me is that I've exited a plane at 10,000 feet with a large man strapped to my back. It was for a tandem skydive!

Emily Eggers: I'm a sophomore at the UW. I grew up in the Seattle suburb of Issaquah, Washington. When I'm not studying or spending time with my family and friends, I'm very active in my local Church. I also enjoy exercising, hiking, swimming, going to concerts, traveling, and reading (not just textbooks!). My friends and I love to play sports together like basketball and dodge ball, and I love watching Husky football. I have a passion for traveling, and have so far been to France, Mexico, and most recently, India. These trips, as well as my knowledge of the French language, have inspired me to pursue a major in Communication, specifically International Communication. Ultimately, I'd like to work in a field that allows me to travel and communicate with people of different cultures. I spent a year studying at the University of Colorado last year, so this is my first year at the UW. I miss the mountains, but I love being back in Seattle!

Courtney Gosnell: I'm from Sunnyvale, California, which is in the bay area (south of San Francisco). I'm a sophomore, currently studying Business Administration and I would like my emphasis to be in marketing. My career goal is to work in marketing, preferably in the sports or entertainment industries. Outside of school, I love playing sports, working out, and listening to music. I have participated in lots of intramural sports at UW such as softball and crew. One interesting thing about me is that I can hardly cook anything, but I can make perfect pancakes (from a mix of course).

Jen Han: I'm from Seattle/Federal Way, Washington and have lived in the area all my life. I'm studying Communication and Political Science, and my career goals are to work for a PR company, and eventually start my own business. My interests include traveling, most outdoor activities (boating, hiking, swimming, wakeboarding, rollerblading, bicycling, the occasional team sport), trying new things, eating candy (I work at a candy store!), reading, watching movies, yoga, and in general simply spending time and laughing with my friends and family! I'm a full Korean black belt! My parents immigrated to the USA over 25 years ago, and I was born and raised in America. Also, I grew up taking Tak Won Do, which is the traditional Korean martial arts.

Kristy Hogue: I've lived all over the US (mostly the western half), but I feel most at home in Washington and Oregon. I'm a Communication and Comparative Literature double major. My main goals at the moment are getting my degrees and attending graduate school. I'm really interested in research, but not sure what role that will play in my eventual career. As far as non-academic activities I love to snowboard, write, and see good movies. And when I really have extended free time (which isn't often) I like to immerse myself in a good book. I also love to do outdoorsy things like camp, hike, and swim. An interesting fact about me is that I know American Sign Language. And that I'm part of the 1% of people that do not fear public speaking.

Rachel Hollcraft: I grew up in Portland, Oregon and now live in LA as well. I am a communication major. I hope to understand the ways in which the media affect our society and try to push a positive change. I also want to help empower women through clothing and finally one day become a motivational speaker. I have a love for fashion, travel, giving back and empowering women. I am involved in Student government, my sorority and a speaking group advocating against rape. Angelina Jolie is one of my role models, Ellen DeGeneres would be a dream best friend and Gandhi is the "cutest old man." I also make my own clothes and headbands.

Cynthia Jonas: I’m from Anacortes, Washington and I’m a senior in Communication with a minor in International Studies—graduating this summer! I hope eventually to get into a career in broadcasting, although I also have my eye on PR or event planning as well. I absolutely love music (playing, listening, watching, or talking about it), film, theater, cultural studies, and practicing my German. I'm definitely a travel/backpacking addict, with northern Europe and Japan as my favorite destinations and I’m always down for an adventure. I’ve played bass guitar in a band for most of my time at college and I currently deejay a classic rock radio show through the UW.s.

Tameka Lampkin: I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio but both my parents are from Mississippi and they’ve always tried to instill Southern values in our family. The reason I’m in now is because I was stationed here when I was in the navy and I liked it so much here that I didn’t want to leave. I’m a pre-Humanities major but my plan is to study communication and culture. I want to go to grad school and one day become a leader in my community. I want to help people and I believe that by going to university I could learn the skills needed to have my voice heard. I am mostly interested in influencing and helping people through communication (e.g. as a counselor). I have a good sense of humor and am able to laugh at myself even when things get stressful. One of my greatest hobbies is dancing and singing. I love music and I have played the violin for ten years.

Maggie McVey: I’ve lived in Woodinville, Washington my entire life. I’m in my first year at the UW and my intention is to major in Finance and minor in French. I’d also like participate in the CISB (Certificate of International Studies in Business) program to have an international degree and to be able to focus on European business. I’m also interested in culture and history as well as business, so my hope is to find a career in finance that allows me to travel and explore other areas of the world while I work. My family has always been very athletic and my two brothers and I participated in sports growing up, so staying active is something I enjoy doing. My first few months of college life have been wonderful and I’m looking forward to the next three years – it’s going by fast and so I want to enjoy it as much as possible!

Sara Mobley: My name is Sara and I've lived in Washington my whole life. I grew up in the small town of Port Orchard, and have lived in Seattle for the past two years while attending the University of Washington. I'm majoring in political science and looking into either double majoring or minoring in communications, and hope to continue on to law school. I have a passion for traveling, music, golf, and spending time with my friends. I've been lucky enough to have been to France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Italy, England, Switzerland, and Belgium. I love the French language and am excited to possibly practice it this summer!

Kamal Sidhu: I'm from India, grew up in Washington on a blueberry farm. I'm studying computer science, hope to one day better integrate computers and agriculture. I like cinema, my favorite movie is Lost in Translation. I also like to play tennis and badminton. I like jogging, I guess you could call it a hobby I do it enough. If I had to guess about something that set me apart from all of the others in the group I would say my upbringing, I live in a pretty old fashioned Indian family and we are farmers in a very urban world.

Deanna Sonni: I'm a junior at the UW. I moved to Washington in September 2007 from Napa, California to go to school and spend time with my dad. I grew up in Napa which is famous for its beautiful vineyards, wines, and fine dinning. I plan to major in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and to minor in German and International Studies. I want to live a life of my passion to travel and study the world in a specific manner in which I have yet to discover. I love eclecticism in cultures, societies, nature, and art so I would like to be able to incorporate those elements into my career. I enjoy reading and music from all around the world, especially the Middle East. I love art and have been practicing it since I was 16. I wish to open my own art gallery some day incorporating my diverse global inspirations.

Cameron Summers: I spent most of my upbringing living about 15 minutes east of Seattle in Redmond, Washington. I'm currently a Senior at the UW and this spring/summer will graduate with degrees in both Psychology and Communication, with minor degrees in Earth and Space Sciences and Environmental Studies. As this might indicate, I have a wide range of interests for my career goals. My short-term plan is to get into real estate/housing renovation while pursuing a Master's Degree in Architecture or Construction Management. Apart from academics, I spend time playing for a couple Puget Sound baseball leagues, am an avid outdoorsman and am always exploring what nature provides us, from the arid climates of the Middle East to the frozen tundra of the Arctic. One unique thing I sometimes share with people is that I am a veteran of the U.S. Navy. While serving I was aboard an aircraft carrier, served as a firefighter, rescue swimmer and in a Special Forces unit. Above all I believe it was these experiences that have helped shape my personality and perspective about my world today.

Jordan Van Vleet: I was born and have been raised in Washington state my whole life. I'm a junior at the UW aiming to study journalism or political science. After graduating with my bachelor’s degree, I hope to attend law school. As a lawyer, I'd be concerned with making a difference in my community and helping ensure justice prevails. When I'm not hitting the books, I enjoy snowboarding, rock climbing, golfing, watching movies, and spending time with my good friends. An interesting fact about me is that I've worked in a bank for nearly three years. While this job has nothing to do with my future career goals, I've learned a great deal during my time there and will take that knowledge away with me to use in other aspects of my life.

Johannah Wergin: I was born in Seattle, but grew up in Bellingham, Washington. I'm currently a Communication major. I love learning about how people communicate and about international media. I'm not yet decided on a career - maybe working with a radio station? I love to travel and like to play sports (volleyball, soccer and tennis). I enjoy and have some experience in theater and drama. I wakeboard, snowboard and hike! I love to laugh, I'm left-handed and an only child. Oh, and my name's pronounced 'yo-hannah'!

Overview of the seminar

2008-02-07T20:51:00.000-08:00

This Global Communication exploration seminar is intended to help students understand some of the human consequences of globalization by studying the important role communication plays in tourism as a global cultural industry. As the world’s single largest trade, tourism is a powerful factor in shaping everyday interpersonal, intercultural and inter-national communication. Nowhere is this more apparent than Switzerland – the birth place of modern tourism and a country which embodies the challenges and successes of multilingualism, multi-culturalism and multinationalism. Since the 1850s, Switzerland and especially Interlaken (our base for the seminar - see red dot in map) have organized and promoted themselves as the quintessential tourist destinations. In the face of global warming, European/EU politics, and international economics, this “production of place” is also being constantly revised. In June 2008, as co-host of the European Cup football (‘soccer’) tournament, Switzerland becomes yet again a major focus of cultural production.

The seminar is designed as an enjoyable learning-by-doing experience with students involved in a series of practical projects involving different theoretical issues and key research skills (e.g. visual ethnography, text analysis). In doing so, students examine the linguistic, visual, material and spatial strategies used to represent and promote Swizterland as a global tourist destination. They also study how visitors and local people interact in tourist sites. It’s in this way that the seminar means to address the darker side of tourism as well, by considering how the making of place and the production of culture always overlook many areas of life. So, for example, one assignment entails students undertaking “counter tourism” in Geneva, following non-touristic routes through this global diplomatic city and developing an alternative tour-guide script. Through a series of fieldtrips, hands-on projects, and guest speakers, students are asked to evaluate critically the implications of tourism for human communication on both a local scale and a global one.

For more information about the University of Washington's Exploration Seminars, please visit the official website.