ADVENTURE TRAVEL NARRATIVES: AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN INSIGHT ATTAINMENT AND LIMINAL EXPERIENCE
Jasmine M. Goodnow, PhD
Assistant Professor of Recreation Leadership
Ferrum College
PO Box 1000
Ferrum, VA 24088
540-365-4495
FAX: 540-365-4377
jgoodnow@ferrum.edu
Adventure Travel Narratives: Construction of Liminal Space and Insight 2
Introduction
Published adventure travel narratives are an underutilized source of travel knowledge and
are one avenue through which knowledge is constructed (Dann, 1996, 1999; Fullagar, 2001;
Wilson & Richards, 2004). Many readers live vicariously through narratives and some are
inspired to embark on journeys of their own (Dann, 1996, 1999; Wilson & Richards, 2004).
Narratives have been shown to influence travel style, destination choice, and travel expectations
(Wilson & Richards, 2004), thus the purpose of this research was to identify the variables and
themes within adventure travel narratives that may influence readers.
Adventure travel narratives are often written within a quest genre (Goodnow & Ruddel,
2009). The quest as genre is a romantic narrative that follows a pattern of sequential steps: the
call to journey, preparation, the journey, and returning home (Campbell, 1968; Goodnow &
Ruddell, 2009). Often, travelers are depicted as searching for insight and answers to questions by
focusing on the metaphorical inner journey of self-discovery (Borella, 206; Cousineau, 1998;
Moir-Bussy, 2003; Thursby, 2005). Insight is a major theme within adventure travel narratives.
Why is travel conducive to gaining insight? Adler (1985) suggested that traveling or
tramping may serve as a ritual aid in accomplishing separation (the first phase of liminality) from
home and family to figure out answers to questions and gain insight into self (Noy, 2004a; Noy
2004b; Shaffer, 2004). Perhaps, liminality may facilitate insight. Liminality comes from the
Latin word limen, meaning “a threshold” (Russell, 2005) or time and place of transition (Turner,
1966). White and White (2003) suggested that long-term travel is composed of three phases:
separation; margin or limen; and reintegration or re-aggregation. The purpose of this study was
to determine if liminality and insight are major variables within adventure travel narratives and if
there was a positive significant relationship between liminality and insight.
Adventure Travel Narratives: Construction of Liminal Space and Insight 3
Method
The purpose of this study was to test associations between liminality and insight within
travel narratives. Instead of sampling participants, 50 published adventure travel narratives,
between 5-10% of the currently available population (Krippendorff, 2004), from two popular
national bookstores were sampled.
Content analysis was the method chosen to analyze the text. Content analysis involved a
systematic reading of texts through adherence to a codebook (Krippendorff, 2004) that was
produced by the primary researcher and two coders. It was used to create decision rules, create
operational definitions, enable coders to systematically identify variables, code the variables, and
enable future researchers to replicate this study. Development of the codebook was a lengthy
process consisting of several phases including a pilot test, modification, second pilot test, and
interrater reliability (r >.800).
All variables used in this study were categorical, thus Loglinear modeling, an
associational approach, was used to analyze the data. Loglinear modeling tested associations in
complex contingency tables by predicting cell frequencies of the dependent variable based on
associations among the independent variables. It also allowed for examining the more complex
three-way associations.
Results
Results supported a significant association between liminal experience and insight.
Within adventure travel narratives, insight rarely occurred without liminal experience. Only one
of several three-way associations among liminal experience, insight, and related variables
(number of travelers, travel motive, sex of traveler, and level of cultural novelty) resulted in a
significant three-way association. Motivation to escape moderated the association between
Adventure Travel Narratives: Construction of Liminal Space and Insight 4
liminal experience and insight. The majority of travelers who were motivated to escape did not
experience both liminality and insight, whereas travelers who were motivated to seek answers,
resolve a crisis, gain a spiritual experience, and test self did write about both liminal space and
insight.
Discussion
Both insight and liminal experience are major themes expressed within adventure travel
writing and liminal experience was significantly correlated with insight. Rarely did a traveler
write about gaining insight without experiencing liminality. Travelers who were motivated to
escape due to dissatisfaction with their current life were less likely to have experienced liminality
and insight than travelers who were motivated to travel for other reasons. These travelers, who
were dissatisfied with life and sought to escape the ordinary, may have brought mental baggage
with them.
Because of the themes expressed in travel narratives, many people may expect to gain
insight through travels, wilderness courses, and study abroad experiences. Thus, the tourism and
recreation fields should capitalize on the theme of gaining insight by designing tour packages,
programs, and marketing messages around the themes of insight, escape, and being away.
There are several limitations to this study. Because adventure travel narratives comprise
the sample of this research, results can only be generalized to published adventure travel
narratives and not to adventure travelers. Thus, future research should focus on the association
between liminal experience and insight in a population of adventure travelers and results from
the adventure travel sample should be compared to the sample of narratives. An important
question to address is whether the adventure travel narrative realistically depicts the reality of an
adventure traveler’s experience with liminality and insight?
Adventure Travel Narratives: Construction of Liminal Space and Insight 5
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