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Rethinking embodiment in tourism research

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  • Yang, Michelle I.C.

Abstract

This paper revisits the embodiment turn in tourism research, challenging dominant assumptions such as the universality of normative bodies and the neutrality of tourism spaces. Using a problematization approach, it critiques existing paradigms and integrates perspectives from embodied cognition, intersectionality, and socio-cultural theories. The paper proposes a conceptual framework comprising four dimensions—experiential, performative, ideological, and disciplinary—emphasizing the dynamic interplay between embodied agency and tourism spaces. By advancing a more comprehensive and inclusive definition of embodiment, the study highlights the relational, intersectional, and contextual dimensions that shape tourism experiences. In addressing existing conceptual limitations, this work contributes to a more critical understanding of embodiment in tourism. It offers directions for future research to foster more equitable and inclusive tourism systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Yang, Michelle I.C., 2025. "Rethinking embodiment in tourism research," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:anture:v:110:y:2025:i:c:s0160738324001695
    DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2024.103892
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    References listed on IDEAS

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