A humanities wanderer “lost” in tourism studies : a critical reflection

Abstract

Auto-ethnographically, this essay attempts to tell a story of how a humanities graduate has ended up as a tourism academic, and the consequences or felt changes associated with his journey. Drawing from lived experiences along the way, the narrator offers critical reflections on (1) a farmer’s son becoming an academic; (2) positioning self against others in the community; (3) authenticity—being a tourist, being yourself, and being “at home”; and (4) cultural identity—an expatriate doing China tourism research in Hong Kong. The narrative raises many questions as it unfolds itself along the way of the narrator becoming an expatriate tourism academic. The writing also sets forth the disciplinary, institutional, and cultural contexts within which the story is developed, its meanings interpreted, and implications, if any, inferred. 这篇短文以自叙的方式讲述了一个文科毕业生如何走入旅游研究的故事。结合切身感受与亲身体会，作者叙述了 “一个农家小孩如何当上大学老师”、“在圈子里如何找位置”、“如何保持真实自我”以及 “如何面对文化身份与交流困惑” 等情节。自我反思在旅游学的语境中展开；内容涉及学圈文化以及海外（华人）学者从事中国旅游研究等等问题。