Literature Review: Tourist selfies as image-making: narratives of self and place.
Title: Tourist selfies as image-making: narratives of self and place. Selfies as a mode of social, cultural and visual communication
Author: McCabe, S., & Scarles, C
Published in Selfies as a mode of social, cultural and visual communication' (IGI Global, 2017)
The proliferation of photography, particularly selfies, in the realm of tourism has generated a rich body of literature exploring the implications of this phenomenon on the perception and representation of self and place. One of the critical works in this field is McCabe and Scarles' (2017) study titled "Tourist selfies as image-making: narratives of Self and Place," in which they delve into the intricate dynamics between the act of taking selfies and the construction of personal and spatial identities.
McCabe and Scarles (2017, p. 195) contend that the selfie, as a form of image-making, is not merely a record of a tourist's presence at a particular location but is also a medium through which narratives of selfhood and place are constructed and communicated. This echoes the sentiments expressed by other scholars. For instance, in their study on the role of selfies in the tourist experience, one research paper suggests that they support the tourist's gaze and contribute significantly to the value of travel experiences (Sage Journals, 2021).
However, the focus on self-portrayal in selfies can sometimes overshadow the representation of the landscape or place. As found in a study on geotagged photographs, the emphasis on self-portraits, including selfies, introduces a new way of 'looking' in tourism that may sideline the appreciation of landscape spaces or objects (JITODE, 2021).
This idea of selfies potentially detracting from the connection to the landscape is further reinforced by another study, which argues that the landscape often plays a subordinate role in most selfies (TandFOnline, 2023). In many instances, the primary aim of such selfies is not to highlight the beauty or uniqueness of a place but to assert the individual's presence there.
Interestingly, this trend of foregrounding the self over the place is open to more than just natural landscapes. An exploration of travel selfies in Barcelona revealed that tourists preferred selfies that depicted urban landscapes or tourist scenarios rather than those that purely showcased the city's architectural or cultural heritage (ET, n.d.).
On the other hand, some studies suggest that selfies can also foster a connection with the landscape. For instance, in their examination of creative tourism in Lapland, researchers found that creative tourism often places the self in the landscape through selfies, thereby forging a unique connection between the individual and the place (Google Books, n.d.).
Similarly, a study on Swedish national parks observed that many photographs on Instagram portrayed happy tourists hiking in grand landscapes, suggesting a positive interaction between the tourists and the natural environment (TandFOnline, 2021). However, it is essential to note that such portrayals may not necessarily reflect a deep or meaningful connection with the landscape, as social media aesthetics and the desire for social validation often influence them.
In conclusion, the literature presents a complex picture of the relationship between tourist selfies and the connection to the landscape. While selfies can serve as a medium for constructing narratives of self and place, they can also, paradoxically, lead to a diminished focus on the place itself. This underscores the need for further research to understand the nuanced dynamics between tourist selfies and the perception and representation of landscapes.
References
McCabe, S., & Scarles, C., 2017. Tourist selfies as image-making: narratives of self and place. In Selfies as a mode of social, cultural and visual communication (pp. 195-210). IGI Global.
Sage Journals. 2021. Exploring the selfie and distracted gaze of the tourist experience through the lens of online photo-sharing: Where to from here? [online] Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/13567667221113079
JITODE. 2021. Identifying Impressive Landscape Objects Based on Geotagged Photographs (A Case Study of Self-Portraits and Ordinary Photos). [online] Available at: https://jitode.ub.ac.id/index.php/jitode/article/view/216
TandFOnline. 2023. The quest for “nature” in selfies: how platforms shape nature/society relationships. [online] Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09640568.2023.2265548
ET. n.d. Exploring travel selfies: the case of Barcelona. [online] Available at: http://www.uhu.es/publicaciones/ojs/index.php/et/article/view/5373
Google Books. n.d. Stories of design, snow and silence: Creative tourism landscape in Lapland. [online] Available at: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ZxOKDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA69&dq=connection+to+the+landscape+in+tourist+selfies&ots=TsDoAsa4k0&sig=7qwFSU8xiNUT1yyTz3YA_AsBA_o
TandFOnline. 2021. The romantic tourist gaze on Swedish national parks: tracing ways of seeing the non-human world through representations in tourists' Instagram posts. [online] Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02508281.2021.1984692
