The ‘normality of unsafety’- foreign solo female travellers in India

Thomas, Toney K.; Mura, Paolo

doi:10.1080/02508281.2018.1494872

Cited by 48 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Very recent papers focus on the Asian solo traveller, an increasing market segment, reporting fear and vulnerability [ 107 ], gendered risk (from wolf whistling, stalking, groping to rape), racialised risk (outside Asia), and being mistaken in Asia for local sex-workers, as Asian women are not supposed to travel alone [ 108 ]. India was singled out as a place to avoid [ 109 , 110 ], especially after much publicised rapes [ 111 ]. This fear is not unfounded with non-partner violence common around the world [ 112 ] and tourist hotspots providing unwelcome happenstances [ 113 ].…”

Section: Safety and Securitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Healthy, safe and responsible: the modern female traveller

Bauer

2021

Trop Dis Travel Med Vaccines

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One-half of all travellers are women; yet, there is a distinct lack of detailed travel health knowledge on topics of unique relevance to women. While there is medical advice relating to stages in the female lifecycle, it neglects women-specific practical aspects despite their ability to harm travellers’ health and cause inconvenience. This paper discusses comprehensively three major aspects of travel as they relate to women. First, it suggests the management of personal hygiene, bodily functions, menstruation and sexual behaviour, and alerts to the limited knowledge on travel mental health issues.Second, apart from travelling in a female body with its specific demands, being a woman requires special attention to safety and security. Within various travel contexts, women have many opportunities for minimising potential risks.Finally, guided by travel medicine’s acknowledgment of its role in the concept of responsible travel, this article goes beyond the usual general statements and broad advice and offers detailed and practical suggestions on how the female traveller can contribute to the overall goal of minimising any potential harm to fellow humans and the natural environment. Recognising the scarcity of women-specific travel information, pathways to better education, and a range of suggestions for urgent research facilitate the provision of high-quality travel health care tailored specifically to women’s needs.

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Section: Safety and Securitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Healthy, safe and responsible: the modern female traveller

Bauer

2021

Trop Dis Travel Med Vaccines

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“…Furthermore, all but one of the studies examined travel guides. We are aware of only one study examining cultural representations of solo travelers found in the online environment-an analysis of blogs by women traveling alone in India (Thomas and Mura 2019).…”

Section: Cultural Representations Of Solo Travelersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These constructions of vulnerability have implications for, and likely some basis in, women’s and men’s travel experiences, as women often report negative experiences, including harassment, fear, and anxiety (e.g., Burek and Kolbl‐Ebert 2007; Heimtun 2012; Heimtun and Abelsen 2013; Seow and Brown 2018; Small 2016; Thomas and Mura 2019; Wilson and Little 2008). For example, an interview study of 52 solo women travelers found that many women reported fearing and experiencing harassment from men, often describing attempts to reduce it, such as selecting clothing to deflect unwanted attention.…”

Section: A Gendered Constraints Perspective On Leisurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Compared with studies of gender patterns in the experiences of solo travelers, considerably less research attention has been given to a factor that may contribute to them—that is, gendered constructions of solo travel found in cultural products, like travel guides. We found relatively few studies—and all but one focused exclusively on images of solo women travelers rather than comparing those of women and men (Caesar 1999; Gilmartin 1997; Glotfelty 1996; Thomas and Mura 2019; Wilson et al 2009). The exception is an analysis of backpacking guides, comparing unisex guides with those aimed at women (Glotfelty 1996).…”

Section: Cultural Representations Of Solo Travelersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The studies that do—most of which examine guidebooks—reveal themes of constraints facing solo women travelers that resonate with the findings of research on women’s and men’s travel experiences (Caesar 1999; Gilmartin 1997; Glotfelty 1996; Wilson et al 2009). However, few of these studies examine content in the online environment, such as articles and blogs, which are increasingly prevalent and likely to influence travel decisions (Thomas and Mura 2019). As a popular tool for researching and booking travel, the internet is a critical site for examining discourses about travel, including differences in constructions of women versus men as solo travelers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Bounded Explorers: Online Constructions of Solo Women Travelers

Douglas

Barrett

2020

Sociological Forum

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Women have navigated the world with much less freedom than men—with restrictions particularly great for their solo, or independent, travel. Although much research documents women’s experiences of these constraints, less is known about travel media’s framing of women as solo travelers—with online media an especially neglected research area. Drawing on a leisure constraints perspective, our study examines differences in online travel articles (n = 100) targeting solo women versus men. Resonating with this perspective, as well as the findings of studies examining women’s actual travel experiences, our findings reveal a framing of women as “bounded explorers,” constrained in their solo travel by the emotional, social, and behavioral burdens imposed upon them, hinging on their perceived vulnerability and men’s perceived dangerousness. We find two processes through which women are constructed in online travel articles as bounded explorers—creating negative expectations and encouraging vigilant risk avoidance. As one of the first studies to examine cultural representations of solo travelers in online media, our research provides further evidence of gendered constraints in leisure by revealing the framing in travel articles of women as more bounded than men—a framing that may, in turn, have implications for women’s experiences in the realm of leisure and perhaps beyond.

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The exploration of Iranian solo female travellers' experiences

Hosseini

Macías

Almeida‐García

2021

Journal of Tourism Research

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For various reasons, some women experience solo travel in different parts of the world. However, as with many leisure activities, access to travel and tourism does not have the same distribution between different social groups, including other classes and genders (men and women). While there is a growing body of research on solo female travellers, few studies have included women from Middle Eastern or Muslimmajority countries. Drawing upon a series of in-depth interviews, this paper examines the travel experiences of Iranian solo female travellers, which have been mainly overlooked in prior studies on the topic. The study's findings indicate that solo travel motivations can be categorized into personal factors: freedom and flexibility, selfempowerment, independence, and exploration. Also, the absence of family responsibilities, routines, and gender constraints, as well as the promotion of their social and personal selves, contributed to their well-being. The results also indicate that, despite the restrictions imposed by Iran's religious-patriarchal society, tourism has made women more visible in the public sphere. Overall, this study fills a significant gap in tourism research by highlighting the experience, limitations, and motivation of solo female travellers, which heralds social change.

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The ‘normality of unsafety’- foreign solo female travellers in India

Cited by 48 publications

References 20 publications

Healthy, safe and responsible: the modern female traveller

Healthy, safe and responsible: the modern female traveller

Bounded Explorers: Online Constructions of Solo Women Travelers

The exploration of Iranian solo female travellers' experiences

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