Question

Among the Toraja people of Sulawesi, Indonesia, not all was going well with tourism. In fact, resentment became so great over the way in which sacred funeral ceremonies were being adapted to meet tourists’ needs that in the late 1980s, a number of Toraja communities simply refused to accept tourists. The result is that host communities find culture and traditions under threat from the purchasing power of the tourism industry. Neither are tourists better off from the cultural viewpoint. Instead of getting rich and authentic cultural insights and experiences, tourists get staged authenticity; instead of getting exotic culture, they get kitsch. Question: Within the context of the narrative presented above, discuss 4 cultural differences (Scollon and Scollon, 1995) that may have prompted the Toraja communities to resist the threats posed by tourism. Your answer must be a minimum of 700 words and maximum of 1000 words.

Answer 1

Among the Toraja people of Sulawesi, Indonesia, not all was going well with tourism. In fact, resentment became so great over the way in which sacred funeral ceremonies were being adapted to meet tourists’ needs that in the late 1980s, a number of Toraja communities simply refused to accept tourists. The result is that host communities find culture and traditions under threat from the purchasing power of the tourism industry. Neither are tourists better off from the cultural viewpoint. Instead of getting rich and authentic cultural insights and experiences, tourists get staged authenticity; instead of getting exotic culture, they get kitsch. Question: Within the context of the narrative presented above, discuss 4 cultural differences (Scollon and Scollon, 1995) that may have prompted the Toraja communities to resist the threats posed by tourism. 1. Ideology, history and worldview (beliefs, values, religion) 2.Socialization: education, enculturation, acculturation, theories of person and learning 3.Forms of discourse:

Answer 2

According to Scollon and Scollon (1995) the four main cultural differences are indirect threats, indirect accusation, direct threats with modified blame, and direct threats with explicit blame. In the context, the Toraja community saw that the stage of funeral rites, and thus its potential violation, were caused by tourism.

So, a direct threat with explicit blame can be seen, as the community perceived a threat to its cultural heritage, while the tourist, as the article states could experience a connection to the community incurring in an indrect accusation, as they could perceive that they were not engaging in authentic activities.