Thus to conclude, I would just like to say thank you for reading this blog! I had a lot of fun learning about New Zealand and its culture. I feel that Globalization cannot be stopped, unless you plan to live life like the old days. However, I feel that it is also extremely important for us to remain in touch with our culture as we embrace Globalization.
Reference:
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107834.html
http://www.newzealand.com/travel/sights-activities/scenic-highlights/history-culture/historyculture-home.cfm
http://history-nz.org/
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/maori-language-week/history-of-the-maori-language
http://www.kellytarltons.co.nz/Animal-Adventures/Overview.htm
http://www.kellytarltons.co.nz/index.htm
http://www.aucklandnz.com/index.php
http://www.crystalmountain.co.nz/Default.aspx
http://www.crystalmountain.co.nz/Park/
http://www.babichwines.co.nz/
Bibliography
Bryman, A. (1999). The Disneyization of society. The Editorial Board of The Sociological Review , 26-44.
Statistic New Zealand. (2010). National Population Estimates: March 2010 quarter. Statistics New Zealand .
Statistics New Zealand. (2009). Final Report of a Review of the. Statistics New Zealand , 7.
Statistics New Zealand. (2009). Tourism Satellite Account. Statistics New Zealand , 10-10.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Changes brought about by Tourism
To end off I will be analyzing the changes brought about by the growth of tourism in New Zealand and comment on whether tourism has been a culprit in commodifying cultures and traditions.
Changes brought about by growth in Tourism
Ironically, I found out (from the Tourism Satellite Account) that visitor arrivals decreased by a small 3.9% in the year 2009. This could be attributed to the recession that took place. However, it is also apparent that New Zealand’s annual visitor arrivals on average are approximately 2.4 million people. This is surprisingly low especially for a country that big.
Some changes that were brought about by Tourism would be foreign talents. The New Zealand government is currently seeking foreign talents to set up businesses in New Zealand. Enticing through tourism has allowed New Zealand to attract more foreign talent.
Apart, from that, I do not think that there are major changes brought about by tourism. However, I do feel that tourism has a positive impact on the maori culture, which I will explain next in the next point.
Has tourism been a culprit in commodifying cultures and traditions?
Personally, I feel that the answer to this question is a yes, and a no. I believe that it is a culprit to a certain extent in the case where the younger generation may not be practicing and learning the maori dance and songs. Yes they might be taking part in Haka competitions but it is only a small part of a bigger picture. Tourism has brought about different culture such as rap music and modern dance. In this, I do agree that tourism has been a culprit.
On the other hand, the trend of cultural tourism is increasing and this has led to the increase practice and showcase of the maori culture. More tourists, such as myself are fondly attracted to the culture and are interested in learning more about it. As it is practiced more, the likelihood that it will be sustained will be higher.
Thus my stand is, I feel that tourism is not to be blamed for commodifying cultures and traditions. The one responsible for sustaining and practicing the culture and traditions are the people, especially the younger generations
Changes brought about by growth in Tourism
Ironically, I found out (from the Tourism Satellite Account) that visitor arrivals decreased by a small 3.9% in the year 2009. This could be attributed to the recession that took place. However, it is also apparent that New Zealand’s annual visitor arrivals on average are approximately 2.4 million people. This is surprisingly low especially for a country that big.
Some changes that were brought about by Tourism would be foreign talents. The New Zealand government is currently seeking foreign talents to set up businesses in New Zealand. Enticing through tourism has allowed New Zealand to attract more foreign talent.
Apart, from that, I do not think that there are major changes brought about by tourism. However, I do feel that tourism has a positive impact on the maori culture, which I will explain next in the next point.
Has tourism been a culprit in commodifying cultures and traditions?
Personally, I feel that the answer to this question is a yes, and a no. I believe that it is a culprit to a certain extent in the case where the younger generation may not be practicing and learning the maori dance and songs. Yes they might be taking part in Haka competitions but it is only a small part of a bigger picture. Tourism has brought about different culture such as rap music and modern dance. In this, I do agree that tourism has been a culprit.
On the other hand, the trend of cultural tourism is increasing and this has led to the increase practice and showcase of the maori culture. More tourists, such as myself are fondly attracted to the culture and are interested in learning more about it. As it is practiced more, the likelihood that it will be sustained will be higher.
Thus my stand is, I feel that tourism is not to be blamed for commodifying cultures and traditions. The one responsible for sustaining and practicing the culture and traditions are the people, especially the younger generations
Disneyization
Disneyization according to Alan Bryman’s ‘The Disneyization of society’ has 4 trends that are:
1. Theming
2. Dedifferentiation of consumption
3. Merchandising
4. Emotional Labour
To explain the concept of Disneyization, I will be focusing on Auckland City in New Zealand.
Theming
Bryman said “More and more areas of economic life are becoming themed.”. He went on giving examples such as restaurants drawing on cultural themes such as Rock, Music and Sport. An example of such a restaurant is the famous Hard Rock Café which draws on the Rock theme.
Another example of theming would be Universal Studios, Singapore where there are different ‘lands’ such as Far Far Away, The Lost World and Ancient Egypt. They used themes to attract tourists and guests.
In Auckland, I found a theme attraction named ‘Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter’. I found that it was based on two very distinct themes. Firstly, it would be the aquatic theme, showcasing marine life and biology. Secondly, I found that it was based on increasingly popular theme; Conservation. ‘Kelly Tarlton’s’ hold event such as Beach Clean Ups and they have a Turtle Rehabilitation Programme. This is unique and certainly attracts more tourists.
Dedifferentiation of Consumption
Dedifferentiation means “the general trend whereby the forms of consumption associated with different institutional spheres become interlocked with each other and increasingly difficult to distinguish.”.
To simplify this statement, simply picture a Shopping mall. It does not only have retail outlets, it also has food and beverage outlets, spa facilities, gaming and for some, even an amusement park.
An example in Auckland is ‘Crystal Mountain’. It’s main attraction is the museum, but around it’s vicinity, there are retail stores selling souvenirs, a café selling food and beverage and even a function centre to hold events.
This is done to encourage spending and thus increase profit. Bill Dawson said “The more needs you fulfill, the longer people stay.”. You might be going to ‘Crystal Mountain’ simply to visit the museum but you will have to eat as well, spending more money, at the café.
Merchandising
The term merchandising means “to refer to the promotion of goods in the form of or bearing copyright images and logos, including such products made under license.”.
This trend of Disneyization is the most obvious and most common of all trends.
Businesses nowadays will never fail to protect their products and they do it through copyrights and licensing. As said before, this is very obvious and can be seen in every business such as ‘Kelly Tarlton’s’, ‘Crystal Mountain’ and ‘Babich Wines’ which is found in Auckland as well.
Emotional Labour
Lastly, emotional labour is defined as the ‘act of expressing socially desired emotions during service transactions.’. It simply means that businesses do not want their staff to convey that they are working. Instead, they would like them to be cheerful and smile and have a bubbly attitude to convey to the guests that they are having fun, and this in turn would affect the guests’ attitude.
Personally, I have been to ‘Kelly Tarlton’s’ and ‘Crystal Mountain’. I found that the staff were certainly very joyful and elated when serving us. We did not feel like they were working. I thought they were one of the tourists there. Thus, I feel that emotional labour is very much a trend in most countries.
There may be problems when trying to convey a message a cheerful tone with someone half a world away, and I noticed that many businesses, especially ‘Kelly tarlton’s’ and ‘Crystal Mountain’ convey this joyous feeling through their marketing on their websites.
One such example would be from Kelly Tarlton’s, “Experienced guides and small groups guarantee a fun, memorable and personal encounter. We will team you up with our experienced dive professionals to guide you every step of the way. They have a passion for marine life, a wealth of knowledge and a focus on conservation - so you're in good hands!”.
In this excerpt, one feels almost compelled to go to the attraction seeing how fun and exciting it may be. Thus this concludes my findings on Disneyization in Auckland, New Zealand.
1. Theming
2. Dedifferentiation of consumption
3. Merchandising
4. Emotional Labour
To explain the concept of Disneyization, I will be focusing on Auckland City in New Zealand.
Theming
Bryman said “More and more areas of economic life are becoming themed.”. He went on giving examples such as restaurants drawing on cultural themes such as Rock, Music and Sport. An example of such a restaurant is the famous Hard Rock Café which draws on the Rock theme.
Another example of theming would be Universal Studios, Singapore where there are different ‘lands’ such as Far Far Away, The Lost World and Ancient Egypt. They used themes to attract tourists and guests.
In Auckland, I found a theme attraction named ‘Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter’. I found that it was based on two very distinct themes. Firstly, it would be the aquatic theme, showcasing marine life and biology. Secondly, I found that it was based on increasingly popular theme; Conservation. ‘Kelly Tarlton’s’ hold event such as Beach Clean Ups and they have a Turtle Rehabilitation Programme. This is unique and certainly attracts more tourists.
Dedifferentiation of Consumption
Dedifferentiation means “the general trend whereby the forms of consumption associated with different institutional spheres become interlocked with each other and increasingly difficult to distinguish.”.
To simplify this statement, simply picture a Shopping mall. It does not only have retail outlets, it also has food and beverage outlets, spa facilities, gaming and for some, even an amusement park.
An example in Auckland is ‘Crystal Mountain’. It’s main attraction is the museum, but around it’s vicinity, there are retail stores selling souvenirs, a café selling food and beverage and even a function centre to hold events.
This is done to encourage spending and thus increase profit. Bill Dawson said “The more needs you fulfill, the longer people stay.”. You might be going to ‘Crystal Mountain’ simply to visit the museum but you will have to eat as well, spending more money, at the café.
Merchandising
The term merchandising means “to refer to the promotion of goods in the form of or bearing copyright images and logos, including such products made under license.”.
This trend of Disneyization is the most obvious and most common of all trends.
Businesses nowadays will never fail to protect their products and they do it through copyrights and licensing. As said before, this is very obvious and can be seen in every business such as ‘Kelly Tarlton’s’, ‘Crystal Mountain’ and ‘Babich Wines’ which is found in Auckland as well.
Emotional Labour
Lastly, emotional labour is defined as the ‘act of expressing socially desired emotions during service transactions.’. It simply means that businesses do not want their staff to convey that they are working. Instead, they would like them to be cheerful and smile and have a bubbly attitude to convey to the guests that they are having fun, and this in turn would affect the guests’ attitude.
Personally, I have been to ‘Kelly Tarlton’s’ and ‘Crystal Mountain’. I found that the staff were certainly very joyful and elated when serving us. We did not feel like they were working. I thought they were one of the tourists there. Thus, I feel that emotional labour is very much a trend in most countries.
There may be problems when trying to convey a message a cheerful tone with someone half a world away, and I noticed that many businesses, especially ‘Kelly tarlton’s’ and ‘Crystal Mountain’ convey this joyous feeling through their marketing on their websites.
One such example would be from Kelly Tarlton’s, “Experienced guides and small groups guarantee a fun, memorable and personal encounter. We will team you up with our experienced dive professionals to guide you every step of the way. They have a passion for marine life, a wealth of knowledge and a focus on conservation - so you're in good hands!”.
In this excerpt, one feels almost compelled to go to the attraction seeing how fun and exciting it may be. Thus this concludes my findings on Disneyization in Auckland, New Zealand.
What's so famous about New Zealand?
What’s so famous about New Zealand?
New Zealand’s popularity lies mostly in its leisure programmes and way of life.
Way Of Life
The size of New Zealand it many times more that of Singapore’s. The number of population though is similar, or even lesser than Singapore’s. This means that there are plenty of space for each citizen in New Zealand to live in. When I was there, I found that many people lived in single unit houses, unlike the HDB houses in Singapore. This meant that the people living there lived in comfortable spaces.
I also noted a difference in the pace of life in New Zealand. It was way slower and less stressful, as compared to Singapore. The country’s GDP per capita is at $29,000 (World Bank). Although it may seem low, the cost of living there is not as high as Singapore. I was greatly enticed by the way of life in New Zealand when I was there. Personally, I feel that many tourists, especially the older generations, enjoy going to New Zealand because of this.
Leisure Programmes
What comes to your mind when you think of New Zealand? For me, it would be Rugby. The famous “All Blacks” have taken the rugby world by storm with their skillful plays and their famous pre-game show, where they perform the haka. Rugby is a national sport in New Zealand, attracting both foreign and domestic tourists to New Zealand.
On one hand, they have rugby leagues similar to that of the ‘English Premier League’ in England for soccer. This attracts fans from other cities in New Zealand as they travel to support their home team. On the other hand, like soccer, rugby does hold a World-Cup event every 4 years. This however, attracts rugby fans from countries all over the world. The upcoming Rugby World Cup 2011 will be held in New Zealand.
The All Black's Haka, which is an attraction itself.
Other than this major event, other festivals such as Christmas is celebrated yearly, with gusto. A festival which I would like to highlight is the annual Kapa Haka competition. Every year, different groups of people will challenge in performing the haka. This is similar to a dance off. This event usually involves schools but they are also taken seriously as a national competition. More importantly, it is national pride.
New Zealand’s popularity lies mostly in its leisure programmes and way of life.
Way Of Life
The size of New Zealand it many times more that of Singapore’s. The number of population though is similar, or even lesser than Singapore’s. This means that there are plenty of space for each citizen in New Zealand to live in. When I was there, I found that many people lived in single unit houses, unlike the HDB houses in Singapore. This meant that the people living there lived in comfortable spaces.
I also noted a difference in the pace of life in New Zealand. It was way slower and less stressful, as compared to Singapore. The country’s GDP per capita is at $29,000 (World Bank). Although it may seem low, the cost of living there is not as high as Singapore. I was greatly enticed by the way of life in New Zealand when I was there. Personally, I feel that many tourists, especially the older generations, enjoy going to New Zealand because of this.
Leisure Programmes
What comes to your mind when you think of New Zealand? For me, it would be Rugby. The famous “All Blacks” have taken the rugby world by storm with their skillful plays and their famous pre-game show, where they perform the haka. Rugby is a national sport in New Zealand, attracting both foreign and domestic tourists to New Zealand.
On one hand, they have rugby leagues similar to that of the ‘English Premier League’ in England for soccer. This attracts fans from other cities in New Zealand as they travel to support their home team. On the other hand, like soccer, rugby does hold a World-Cup event every 4 years. This however, attracts rugby fans from countries all over the world. The upcoming Rugby World Cup 2011 will be held in New Zealand.
The All Black's Haka, which is an attraction itself.
Other than this major event, other festivals such as Christmas is celebrated yearly, with gusto. A festival which I would like to highlight is the annual Kapa Haka competition. Every year, different groups of people will challenge in performing the haka. This is similar to a dance off. This event usually involves schools but they are also taken seriously as a national competition. More importantly, it is national pride.
The natives and their cultures and traditions
As seen from the charts, the population of New Zealand is made up of Europeans, Maoris, Asians and others. Over the years, this diverse range of race and culture has turned New Zealand into a multi cultural country. I will be zooming into the natives of New Zealand, the Maoris, and explain their culture and traditions.
Culture
The Maoris are the aborigines of New Zealand, arriving in the 10th Century AD. They are by nature a warrior culture, similar to that of the Spartans in Greece. The languages they speak are English, New Zealand Sign Language and te reo Maori (Maori Language). Te reo was ironically lesser spoken in the mid 20th Century. Concerns that Te Reo would die off, sparked off a revival initiative of the language. The success of the initiative can be seen today as more than a quarter of Maori ethnicity speak and understand Te Reo. Some of the common Maori terms are:
Aboriginals – Tangata Whenua
Hello/Greetings – Kia Ora
Goodbye – Haere Ra
Traditions
The Maori People sustain their culture and traditions through stories, songs, dance and art. One of their famous song dances is the world-famous haka which is a ceremonial war dance originally used by warriors for various reasons such as to scare off enemies and warm up before battle.
The Maori art include the traditional costume, ancient statues and the Moko. The traditional costume of the Maori looks inevitably tribal, and it was worn to show unity of a tribe. The ancient statues were carved with the same purpose of a photograph, which is to remember ancestors. Different tribes of Maoris have their unique design of their statue.
Lastly, the Moko, which is basically tattoos, is an art form for Maoris to scare off their opponents in battle. In the Maori culture, the ugliest man would be deemed as the most handsome man as he is able to scare off his opponents. Moko is used to enhance one’s ‘beauty’.
The following photos and video would explain and show you more of the Maori traditions.
Introduction to New Zealand
History of New Zealand
New Zealand was first founded by Polynesians in 950-1130AD. In 1642, a European Explorer named Abel Tasman sails into New Zealand. Unfortunately, this encounter led violence and bloodshed. Then 1769, a British Explorer by the name of James Cook arrived by coincidence to New Zealand where he settled. In 1790, an influx of whalers, traders and missionaries arrived to New Zealand. It was not welcomed with pleasure and open arms by the natives and war broke out for over 50 years.
On February 6th 1840, the natives signed a treaty known as The Treaty of Waitangi with Britain, with the promise that their land will be protected if they recognize British rule. However, as more European settlers arrive to New Zealand, tension and competition for space grew more intense, leading to a war known as the Land Wars in 1845 which lasted for more than 20 years. Finally in 1870, Britain withdrew her troops.
Current times in New Zealand
In present day New Zealand, New Zealand is an independent nation within the British Commonwealth. The British Monarch, although the constitutional head of state, plays no role in the administration of the New Zealand Government. Interestingly, New Zealand also has a native Queen.
The education structure in New Zealand in very different as compared to Singapore’s education structure. A child would be attending kindergarten from 3-5 years of age, primary school at age 6 to 9, secondary school at 9-13 years old and tertiary education upon graduation of secondary school at universities or polytechnics.
New Zealand’s estimated population in at 4,305,700 of which 13% are natives. In the next part, I will be talking about the culture in New Zealand.
New Zealand was first founded by Polynesians in 950-1130AD. In 1642, a European Explorer named Abel Tasman sails into New Zealand. Unfortunately, this encounter led violence and bloodshed. Then 1769, a British Explorer by the name of James Cook arrived by coincidence to New Zealand where he settled. In 1790, an influx of whalers, traders and missionaries arrived to New Zealand. It was not welcomed with pleasure and open arms by the natives and war broke out for over 50 years.
On February 6th 1840, the natives signed a treaty known as The Treaty of Waitangi with Britain, with the promise that their land will be protected if they recognize British rule. However, as more European settlers arrive to New Zealand, tension and competition for space grew more intense, leading to a war known as the Land Wars in 1845 which lasted for more than 20 years. Finally in 1870, Britain withdrew her troops.
Current times in New Zealand
In present day New Zealand, New Zealand is an independent nation within the British Commonwealth. The British Monarch, although the constitutional head of state, plays no role in the administration of the New Zealand Government. Interestingly, New Zealand also has a native Queen.
The education structure in New Zealand in very different as compared to Singapore’s education structure. A child would be attending kindergarten from 3-5 years of age, primary school at age 6 to 9, secondary school at 9-13 years old and tertiary education upon graduation of secondary school at universities or polytechnics.
New Zealand’s estimated population in at 4,305,700 of which 13% are natives. In the next part, I will be talking about the culture in New Zealand.
Introduction to author
Kia Ora ladies and Gentleman!
My name is Aliff Dannial and I am doing an E-portfolio on New Zealand. This post will be a short introduction on why I chose New Zealand for this assignment. Personally, I fell in love with New Zealand and its culture when I first visited in 2007. I was on an exchange programme.
I arrived in Auckland where I stayed with my host for most of the period I was there. I was introduced to the Maori culture which I instantly fell head over heels for. I went hysterical each time we would go to a Maori culture showcase. Note hysterical; like diehard fans of Korean and Japanese pop idols.
Ever since, I have always had a soft spot for New Zealand and the Maori culture. This has led me to choose it for this assignment. Thus, enjoy reading and I hope you will learn a lot from it. Who knows, you might even love it!
My name is Aliff Dannial and I am doing an E-portfolio on New Zealand. This post will be a short introduction on why I chose New Zealand for this assignment. Personally, I fell in love with New Zealand and its culture when I first visited in 2007. I was on an exchange programme.
I arrived in Auckland where I stayed with my host for most of the period I was there. I was introduced to the Maori culture which I instantly fell head over heels for. I went hysterical each time we would go to a Maori culture showcase. Note hysterical; like diehard fans of Korean and Japanese pop idols.
Ever since, I have always had a soft spot for New Zealand and the Maori culture. This has led me to choose it for this assignment. Thus, enjoy reading and I hope you will learn a lot from it. Who knows, you might even love it!
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