Toward a sociological approach to exoticism: from ethnocentrism to empirical illusion, a case study of French presence in Vietnam leading to the current tourism influx
Author: Binet, Manon
Under the direction of: Khoa Lê-Huu
Bourgogne Franche-Comté University
Texte français
Keywords: Sociology, Vietnam, Ethnocentrism, Exoticism, Interculturality, Social representations, Tourism, Vietnam, Ethnocultural tourism, Interethnic relations, Ethnology.
Abstract
Exoticism is not an objective perspective. It comes from ethnocentrism and a specific thought process that creates an empirical illusion. This study intends to formulate a new sociological definition of exoticism that takes into account meaning and contextual structures. Exoticism is a constructive process that affects an individual’s perceptions of alterity, and shapes a biased image which is then embedded in a power imbalance, favoring one cultural space above another. Our case study focuses on French presence in Vietnam leading up to the current era, characterised specifically by an influx of tourism. First it explores French people’s representations about Vietnam, which can be understood through different media. Our study then draws from the results of various investigation methods (surveys, interviews, participant observation) through which we seek to reveal the cognitive processes at work and the attitudes of tourists in search of exoticism. This work method enables us to examine in what fashion reality is defined by false pretenses and fantasies and how this marks the senses and intellectual comprehension of individuals, specifically their subjectivity regarding a foreign territory. This research also identifies the different stakeholders of the tourism industry and how they transform landscapes into decors, and individuals into extras of the spectacle of their own culture. Our study then conceptualizes two ideal types : immersive and contemplative. These two types explain the cognitive translation made by exoticising individuals in regards to the reality they are interacting with.
