Naprieč hranicami, mimo autentického a falošného: transnacionálna antropológia, turizmus a identita

Abstract

The paper shows how two rarely linked fields of inquiry, transnational anthropology and tourism studies, can mutually enrich themselves. The overview of literature supports the view that, regarding the subject of transnationalism, social sciences have so far disproportionately focused on phenomena such as migration, diasporas and hybrid identities. Tourism, conceptualised as a globalised and globalising process par excellence, contrasts with these in that is constituted by national-boundary crossing not out of need, but in pursuit of pleasure and a desirable lifestyle. The author briefly outlines the two domains and then sets out to establish the relevance of their fusion in research on identity constructions and their relationship with place. He specifically elaborates the issues of ‚authenticity' of emergent native ‚tourist ethnicities' and of the cultural capital that low-budget independent travellers (backpackers) allegedly generate by transnational mobility.