Travel and Travel Literature as Expressions of Cultural, Political and Gendered Power - Essay Example

? Travel and travel literature as expressions of cultural, Political and Gendered Power Insert (s) Submission Travel and travel literature as expressions of cultural, Political and Gendered Power Introduction Travel and travel literature are generally considered to be a manifestation of cultural, Political and Gendered Power. Although some authors claimed that individuals travel to learn, a closer analysis of travel literature reveals that people generally travel to exercise power of land, women and other peoples. In this regard, travel and travel literature can only be examined in the context of expressing cultural, political and gendered power. For example, in most cases, travel writing typically records the experiences of the author who toured a place for the pleasures of travel as opposed to travelling to learn. For many centuries, travel literatures have primarily focused on the experiences of the travel as a means of sharing the memories and the impressions of the individual travellers and tourists (Speake, 2003, p.45). According to many theorists, travel literature have focused on documenting and providing accounts of the authors with the cultures, peoples and women of the foreign lands during their travelling experiences. In this regard, a number of styles ranging from journalistic, literary, humorous and documentary travel writing styles are used by different writers depending on the context of their travel and the nature of their experiences. As part of tourism, travel literature may sometimes demonstrate the intention of the authors to effectively demonstrate or educate the reader on the cultures and experiences in their destinations. Consequently, this is a proof that one does not travel to learn but rather to express cultural, gendered and political power. Travel writing should therefore focus on allowing readers to develop vivid recollections of the areas and experiences of the writer as described in the travel literature. One of the areas critical to travel writing is intercultural communication as a way of presenting power relations between the author and the peoples of the travel destination. For example, intercultural communication can effectively be used to locate a dominant culture as well as the hidden ideological meanings as depicted by the author. This paper critically examines travel and travel literature as expressions of political, cultural, and gendered power regardless of absence of colonial relations. Relationship between travel writing and imperialism Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, much of the travel literature was often dominated European writings about their colonial possessions and the superiority of their cultures. On the other hand, travel writing by individuals from the colonies was largely suppressed and ignored. The silencing of the colonial “other cultures” in most western travel literatures was particularly similar to the silencing of women in the travel writing genre. Additionally, both the colonized people and women had restricted movements and their travel experiences were considered to be secondary to the dominant experiences of the European explorations (Fussell, 1980, p.92). In the contemporary literary writing, the idea that people travel to learn is often a misconception. On the contrary most travel literatures have often focused on political questions of both postcolonial and gender discourses. This can therefore mean that travelling and travel writing has a colonial relationship and people only travel to exercise their cultural and political power. Just as earlier been noted, travel writing is considered to be one of the most important literary genres and this is particularly because it not only records our spatial progress but also our temporal progress as well. Through the travels and travel writing, we can effectively identify the authors’ definition of our selves versus the others within the work. However one of the key concerns has been the historical connection between travel writing and imperialism and whether it can divest itself from its colonial origins. According to Clark (1999, p.64), many travel writers have openly expressed their imperialist perceptions in their travel writing and this is most likely attributed to the fact that identity politics is influenced by representations. Generally, the social cultural struggle seen in most travel writings is as a result of the attempts by the writers to reinforce the perception of cultural hegemony of the dominant cultures. For example, American travel writings are often characterized by global pervasiveness and thematic dynamics that ensure the U.S dominant power structures and preserve the notions of subjectivity. This is particularly achieved through the use of hierarchical positions of periphery versus the center as well as backward versus advanced in an attempt to provide a justification of the US exploration, colonization and exploitation. For example, Joan Didion, an American travel writer wrote about her thrilling experiences after a trip to El Salvador in 1983. As shown in the extract below, her presentation depicts a collapsed society and reinforces the perception El Savador is in need of the U.S intervention. “Immigration is negotiated in a dark thicket of automatic weaponsbut it is difficult to determine by whose authority the weapons are brandished.” Documents are scrutinized upside down (Didion,1983 p.189). Generally, when combined, these choices can provide an important ideological stance that depicts a colonial relationship between the author and the travel destination. On the other hand, a review of several post colonial travel literatures reveals that there can colonialism and imperialism left a significant mark on the former colonies. As a result, the post colonial travel writers who documented their travel experiences in the former colonial empires have keen interest on the effects of colonialism on the cultures of the destinations of their travel. This is not only manifested in their accounts of travel but can also be seen by tracing the author’s attitudes and particular interests as depicted in their writings (Siegel K. L. 2002, p.205). Travel literature to some degree may be cross-cultural, political or even of world-wide in focus or it may involve touring different regions within the same country. Travel literature as well tends to record the cultural, political and gender power experiences of various authors touring place for pleasure of travel. The pleasure of travel is normally accompanied by other several additional experiences such as learning the culture of the people these authors meet in their final destinations and the political organisations and systems in these areas (Davidson and Spearritt, 2001, p. 56). Literary illustrations of journeys across the world and travel talks’ express political commitments that are hardly visible beyond their acquired status as a minor legendary genre. The travel and travel literature reveals the interconnections concerning politics and the important and serious businesses of the globe affairs and their varied importance to the study and the global world politics practice. The genre argues that the quasi-fictional genre of travel writing is to some extent useful in the comprehension of matters of international importance as the policy documents, government press statements, parliamentary discussions and as well several mass media stories that are portrayed in the genre. When it comes to cultural motivation, travel and travel literature have a vivid and distinct advantage for they are read widely by a number of literate people including tourists and travellers thus enhancing provision of valid and valuable information concerning how artefacts and other remains of man and his popular culture hence bringing about some common assumptions on the power relations at the international community level. The western tourists have also embraced a colonialist mode of writing which adopts the pre-eminence of the travellers’ cultural and moral values thus leading to a socialisation process inclining those in the destinations into their cultures through the cross-culture encounters in the travel writing. At the historical and cultural level in addition the travel literature has contributed to the international jurisdiction by disseminating the objectives of empire; it brought about the cultural practices which were critical in the establishment of unjust, unequal and exploitative colonial regime which forced the native areas to adopt their cultures and political organisations. The vast changes as well in the fields of technology, politics, economics and cultural practices thus no doubt has been revealed and brought into existence as a result of travel writing. This to some extent also shows that through travel literature historical forces of globalisation have in addition been brought into existence as a result of the concern by the travel writers on how they present-day natural, neurotic and moral anxieties created by the late 20th century globalisation (Cocker, 1992, p.107). Concerning gender and power representations, the contemporary travel and travel literature continues from the colonial tradition. Travel writing produces a well-developed western evolution from which the travel writers emerge to manuscript several gender based issues, cultures, states and the people as a whole. Travel writing enhanced securing of the writers’ honoured positions regardless of their gender though in some cases it appeared to be gender biased by classifying, evaluating and passing verdict on less civilised areas of travelling. Many travel writers make thoughtful determinations to detach themselves from the genre consequence in realm by accepting the emancipatory potentials formed by a unified universal village compared to heeding back to an earlier susceptibility thus these authors revel the interdependence and mutual goals of all values. Travelling involve moving from familiar surroundings and visiting places that are culturally and geographical different. In this regard, the experience of the difference may pose a serious threat to an individual’s identity since it brings about the question of one’s self versus the other. Travel writing as a form of literary colonialism Many authors have argued that travel writing is actually a form of literary colonialism. For example, in the contemporary society, the creative nonfiction travel writings of both travellers and tourists visiting foreign places have been characterized by questions about culture, self, justice, and political power. The travel writing done by western writers visiting developing countries often see the people in the communities they are visiting as powerless and can depict their culture as inferior and ignorant. At other moments, the travel writers wrote about Asian culture with curiosity, sympathy and wondrous detail. For example, some of the early European travel literatures seemed to look down upon the Chinese peasants with “broad faces”. This portrayal is some times designed to make them needful of the Western aid and is therefore considered to be a literary colonialism. Although sometimes travel writing may be important in building bridges and between cultures and highlighting inequalities, it is important that travel writers must always recognize the dangers of ethnocentrism as well as appreciate cultural diversity. In relation to culture and gender power, by teaching travel and travel literature teaches us how to appreciate cultural and gender differences and recognise the values common to all of human races by focusing on the coordinating effects of globalisation through the modern travel writing by challenging the reader with the problem of global community. Hindley (1983, p. 73) agued that ravel literatures in the 18th and 19th centuries had a wide range of genre diversity ranging from reflections on accounts of events such as the evils of slavery, sexually biased accounts intended to make fun of some social classes or demonstrate gender superiority. The travel writers of the time were particularly curious of the foreign cultures and sometimes their writings depicted offensive racism towards the different cultures.. On the other hand, although some contemporary travel literatures done by western travellers and tourists have been biased in their representation of their experiences in rural people in African, Asian and Latin American cultures, others have offered powerful and critical insights into human rights abuses, global economic injustices and other effects of western imperialism in such places. Women travel literature depiction of the oriental culture An analysis of the 18th century women travel literature reveals regarding what was known as oriental culture reveals that most of the women travel writers did not develop any superiority attitude towards oriental culture. Contrary to what may be expected, a majority of these travel writers showed some strong interest in the different cultures and admired many aspects of oriental cultures. This fact seems to question the idea of presumed relationship between most travel literatures and imperial colonialism. For example, most women travellers not only failed to adopt a superiority attitude towards oriental culture but they also admired to adopt them. This consequently means that women travel writers often do not give a political dimension to their travelling and travelling experiences (White, J. 1993, p. 102). It is also worth noting that the in accuracies as well as the biasness of most of the early travel narratives is particularly attributed to the fact that most of the writers often based their narratives on rumours, ethnography, stereotypes and history and less on first hand personal experiences. As a result, travel writing was notoriously unreliable and could not provide insights into the oriental cultures and cultural practices. Conclusion In conclusion, the idea that people travel to learn is a misconception. On the contrary, most travel literatures have often focused on political questions of both postcolonial and gender discourses. Throughout the history, travel writing has documented a number of cultural, political and gender issues even in our contemporary globalized society. References Clark, S. 1999. Travel Writing and Empire: Postcolonial Theory in Transit. London: Zed Books press. Cocker, M. 1992. Loneliness and Time: The Story of British Travel Writing, New York: Routlege publishers. Crick, M. K. 1989. Representations of International Tourism in the Social Sciences: Sun, Sex, Sights, Savings, and Servility’, Annual Review of Anthropology, 18 (4), pp. 307-44. Culler, J. 1981. Semiotics of Tourism’, American Journal of Semiotics,1(2), pp. 127-140. Davidson, J. and Spearritt, P. 2001. Holiday Business: Tourism in Australia Since 1870, Melbourne. Fussell, P. 1980. Abroad: British Literary Traveling Between the Wars, Oxford: Oxford University press. Hindley, G. 1983. Tourists, Travellers and Pilgrims, London: London University press. Speake, J. 2003. Literature of Travel and Exploration: An Encyclopedia. New York: Fitzroy Dearborn.  Siegel K. L. 2002. Issues in Travel Writing: Empire, Spectacle, and Displacement. New York: Peter Lang Publishing. White, J. 1993. Recasting the world: writing after colonialism. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Read More