The Demonstration Effect
The replacement of local cultural aspects with those of
another culture or cultures
Todays Lecture:
Define:

Demonstration Effect

Commodification

Acculturation

Standardization

Transculturation
How to protect a culture?
Assignment: Caribbean Cultural Region
Demonstration Effect
Demonstration Effect
= The impact of tourists’ values and customs on
local people
= The phenomenon of local residents adopting
the styles and manners they have observed
= Demonstration effects are effects on the
behavior of individuals caused by observation
of the actions of others and their
consequences. The term is particularly used
in political science and sociology to describe
the fact that developments in one place will
often act as a catalyst in another place.
Demonstration Effect Con't
The intended and unintended impacts that visitors may
have on a local community through their actions.
The phenomenon of local residents adopting the styles
and manners they have observed in visiting tourists.
Occurrence of indigenous and rural communities and
cultures adopting western style and behaviour that
they have observed in visiting tourists
Commodification
The transformation of goods and services to things that
may not be normally regarded as a commodity
'Commodification' is where ceremonies, cultural
performances and rituals 'are changed to suit the needs
and wishes of tourists.
These performances and ceremonies are made more
colourful and dramatic so 'culture becomes a commodity
for financial transactions', and does not really show the
'real' culture of the destination: also referred to as 'staged
authenticity'.
Commodify

Where do you see commodification in your daily
lives?
MacDonalds - Internationally
Is this you?
Acculturation
♦ Changing components of traditional dance to meet
the tourists: schedule, budget, and photography
needs.
Standardization

Bringing recognizable features such as food,
hotels, and movies to exotic destinations to make
the tourist feel more comfortable in their
surroundings.
Standardization Con't


Taking culture and changing its appeal to tourists
How much of the culture must be changed to meet
the tourists' demands?
Transculturation


Potential Loss of skills for future generations as a
result of changing value to those practices
Example: Fishing communities in Newfoundland
are moving to whale watching since it is more
lucrative resulting in a loss of traditional type of
work & skills for young locals
How can Culture be Protected
While allowing tourists in an Area?

Educate tourists and residents
- Help tourists understand the cultural importance
and meaning of festivals/attractions
Example of Understanding
one's culture..


Muslim countries share a strict cultural tradition
that woman must cover themselves in public.
By knowing and respecting this fact, female
tourists should not wear revealing clothing
Physical Landscape


If a physical landscape contains cultural features,
effective land-use planning should plan for
protection
This means areas for designated tourism
development zones
Time


Rushed development = conflict between profits
and cultural landscape
By gradually developing a tourism sector,
strategies that attempt to mitigate loss of cultural
identity can be better implemented
Negative Effects of the D.E.
Religious beleifs, dress, music, eating habits, and commercial
pratices...
Large-scale tourist developments changed rural living patters
Seasonal work patterns created
Traditional skills of some workers were lost (from fishing to boat tour
guide)
Local art, music, and clothing styles were commercialized to cater to
tourists
Local foods, music, clothing styles were changed or influenced by
North American Styles
Local properties and areas of natural beauty were commercialized
Crime levels increased.



Comprehension check...
Individually or in small groups complete the
handout provided as your exit pass..
Calculator required for Q.1 use phone/calc...
TPA
What is it?
Ratio of many tourists travelled to a destination
compared to how many local residents live there...