Defining Place Authenticity: My Heritage Can Beat Up Your History

Defining Place Authenticity: My Heritage Can Beat Up Your History
Alan A. Lew, Ph.D. Northern Arizona University
http: //AlanLew .com
http: //AlanALew .com
North of Lake Tahoe, California
“ My History Can Beat Up Your Politics” podcast
http://myhistorycanbeatupyourpolitics.blogspot.com/

The Postmodern Tourism Past
Authenticity is Negotiable
Culture is Continually Invented
Multiple Layers of Place Identity
Heritage & Culture are (Re)-Interpreted
for Economic Development
Commodification
for Nationalism
“ The Past is a Foreign County”
We Cannot Know the Past
Except through the Values of the Present
Also true of Interpreting Cultures

Nostalgia Explosion
Reaction Against Postmodern Uncertainty
Requires
Linear sense of Time
Apprehension over limitations/deficiencies of the Present
Social Change is detectable over one’s lifetime
Evidence of the past exists
artefacts, images & text
“ If the Past is a Foreign Country, Nostalgia has made it “the foreign country with the healthiest tourist trade of all”
Lowenthal, 1985: 4

Defining / Fixing Heritage Authenticity
Heritage Success =
1 - Semblance of Authenticity
Believability
Credibility
2 - Acceptance by its Audiences
Fixing of Heritage Tradition
to establish or stabilize cultural identities
to legitimate institutions; and
to socialize people in(to) particular contexts
The traditional and the new are not mutually exclusive states

Approaches to Authenticity
Authenticity as a Product Feature vs. Authenticity as Experience
Stakeholders and Negotiation in Authenticity
Primordial vs Situational Authenticity
Simulations and Dissimulations
Objective, Constructive & Existential Authenticity

Revitalization of Older Retail Districts
Four Oregon Case Studies
Sisters (#19)
Junction City (#9)
Oakland (#13)
Florence (#7)

Case Study #1 – Sisters, Oregon - Western Facade
On Eastern Slopes of Cascade Mountains
3 Major Highways converge just before Sisters
Formerly known for gas stations and restaurants only
Sisters Rodeo was already well established
Junior Chamber of Commerce in early 1970s
Converted two small buildings into Cowboy Theme
One at each end of town
By 1977 – 1880s Cowboy Western Façade was made mandatory for entire retail district
Design guidelines written into local ordinances & building code
Strong community support for Western Theme
Makes Community more Interesting
Increases Shopping variety and Opportunities

Sisters is #19

Sisters Yesterday and Today 4 th of July, 1946

Sisters Booms
Named after the Three Sisters Mountain Peaks
Population of about 600 in town in 1990
Retirement and Recreation Region
Large Second Home Subdivisions near Sisters
Developers Funded Architectural Sketches to Show Businesses how they could be “Westernized”
Saw Sisters as an “Attraction” for recreation subdivisions
Other Amenities
Mount Bachelor Ski Area to north
Hunting and Fishing in Cascades
High Plateau climate
High Level of Retail Organization
100% Retail Membership in Chamber of Commerce !

Sisters, Oregon The Cascades: Snowcapped Volcanoes, Lava Flows and Pine Trees SistersCity Hall Hotel Sisters – the only truly Historic building in town

The New West in Sisters, Oregon An Award is given each year to the Best (most authentic ) Western Theme Building - a past winner (right) >>

Issues of Authenticity The Sno-Cap Drive Inn – A Sisters Tradition Front Porch of a New Retail Store Which of these is more Authentic? More ‘Disney’? Which is gives a Real ‘Sense of Place’?

Case Study #2 – Junction City, OR
Junction City, Oregon
settled by ethnic Danish migrants from the Midwest
joined late by other ethnic Scandinavian migrants
Bypassed by Interstate 5 in the late 1950s
major economic downtown
Initiated the Scandinavian Festival in early 1960s
to boost community pride
Suggested by a local M.D. & supported by the Chamber of Commerce
Draws over 200,000 visitors yearly over 4 days
Focus on Non-profit organization
Schools, Social organization – including the Danish Sisterhood and Sons of Norway
Emphasis on Authenticity of Booths and Display
Authenticity is checked before and during the festival

Junction City is #9

Junction City Scandinavian Festival
The Scandinavian Festival is ranked by Sunset Magazine as one of the best in the U.S. – due to its emphasis on authenticity.
Planning for the festival is a year-round activity
The Junction City High School is opened for RV trailer parking and use of the schools showers and restrooms.

Landscape Impacts of the Scandinavian Festival Festival Hall & Flower Boxes A Junction City Travel Agency
The Festival Hall is used for the Art Show and Dances
It is the only permanent festival building
The higher end of Authenticity?

Retail Efforts to Encompass the Scandinavian Theme
Downtown Junction City (above) and the Viking Inn (right)
Impacts on ‘For Profit’ community has been minimal
these are resented by the festival’s ‘non-profit’ organizers
Do Shingles (especially Red ones) signify Scandinavia?

Scandinavia along US Highway 99 More Shingles plus Painted Tulips on a gas station sign Attracting the passing traffic

Case Study #3 – Oakland, Oregon Historic District
1890s brick and stone architecture
First designated Historic District in Oregon
High level of Architectural Authenticity
Both in Retail District and adjacent Residential Area
Early 1960s –Oakland Lumber Mill Closed
Historic Preservation effort initiated
To raise community spirits & Revitalize downtown Oakland
But – final Historic District Zone – only for Retail Area
Did not include Residential Area
Businesses accused of trying to create a “Tourist Trap”
Residents rejected Historic Preservation – never implemented
Early 1970s – State mandated comprehensive planning
New Historic District boundaries drawn to include Residential

Oakland is #13

Oakland, Oregon Bank Building in Downtown Historic Home Old School Building The total population of Oakland in 1990 was about 900

Downtown Oakland, Oregon 1928 “Turkey Capital of the World”

Who’s Downtown is it?
New 1970s Historic District encompassed residential areas
More acceptable to citizens
Lion’s Club began some initial promotional efforts
But - New Economy of Oakland had made it a Bedroom Community for the much larger Roseburg, OR
Residents opposed ‘Disneyfication’ of downtown
‘ Visitors’ are OK, but Not ‘Tourists’
Continuing Distrust of Downtown Retailer Motives
1980s Gradual moves by retailers to expand market
Information sign in Interstate 5 Rest Area

Signage of Oakland, Oregon ` Lion’s Club 1970s sign 1980s Interstate 5 Rest Area information sign

Case Study #4 - Florence, Oregon – Waterfront Theme
Old Town Florence
Bypassed by new bridge over the Siuslaw River
Revitalization of Old Town started by tourists from California in early 1970s
Combination of Historic Preservation & Waterfront
High Seasonality – closed in winter months
Regional Resources
Oregon Coast – most popular destination in OR
Sport Fishing
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area
Regional Marketing

Florence is #7

Oregon Coast Regional Resources Oregon Dunes & the Coast A Variety of Tourist ‘Traps’

Florence, Oregon – Old town The large white building is historic, none of the others are

Florence, OR Fishing boats in the Siuslaw River New Tourist Shops in Old Town

Florence, OR Good Signage indicates a well organized retail community

Thematic Singapore ? Thematic Asia
How Are Themes Used in Retail Districts in
Singapore ?
Asia ?
List
Places
Themes
Symbols / Examples
Sisters, OR (western)
Junction City, OR (Nordic)
Oakland, OR (historic buildings)
Florence, OR (waterfront)

Approaches to Authenticity
Objective, Constructive & Existential Authenticity

1. Heritage Authenticity as a Product Feature vs. Consumed Experience
Authenticity takes multiple forms and thus we can only unpack its meaning by analyzing the context and the specific instance it is used each time (Bruner 1994)
Product Authenticity Features - 5 types:
Object-related, Factual, Locational, Personage, and Environmental
Hampton (2006) – Gettysburg, PA Battlefield
All five Product types [of product authenticity] gave value to the heritage experience by helping visitors achieve a temporary but profoundly intense imaginary flight in the past…. Perceived authenticity of the product can, therefore, trigger consumers imagination and transport them through narrative worlds.
Consumed Authentic Experiences
‘ Constructive Authenticity’, ‘Symbolic Authenticity’, and others
Tourist Types:
Recreational, Diversionary, Experiential, Existential, …

1. Experience
1. Experience
Oakland, OR (historic buildings)
1. Product-Factual
1. Product-Locational + Experience

2. Stakeholders and Negotiation in Heritage Authenticity
Perspectives of authenticity as seen by different stakeholders
Authenticity is Negotiable - depending upon
State Regulations
Tourist / Visitor Expectations
Tourism Industry / Business Goals
Host community Knowledge and Belief in their ‘own’ past
Each creates a Subjective Framework of what constitutes the authentic aspects of heritage
Permutations/Changes of authenticity that have taken place in the ongoing discourse
Authenticity as a Dynamic Process

1. Experience – 2. Tourism Industry
1. Experience – 2. Host Community
Oakland, OR (historic)
1. Product-Factual – 2. State Regulation
1. Product-Locational + Experience – 2. Tourism Industry

3. Primordial vs Situational Heritage Identity
Cultural Identity as
an ongoing process, politically contested and historically unfinished, and as
always mixed, relational and inventive
Primordial Heritage
Processes by which heritage identities and boundaries were originally created, modified and maintained.
Geographic and historic isolation resulting in cultural differences
Situational Heritage
Regards heritage as ‘a set of processes and social relations, which may be invoked according to circumstances’ (Hitchcock, 1999: 21).
e.g.: Tourism turns culture into a commodity and heritage is modified to accommodate the visitors and the locals
Situational Heritage ALWAYS Dominates Primordial Authenticity in defining heritage identity (Hitchcock 1999)

1. Experience – 2. Tourism Industry – 3. Situational
1. Experience – 2. Host Community – 3. Premordial
1. Product-Factual – 2. State Regulation – 3. Premordial
1. Product-Locational + Experience – 2. Tourism Industry - 3. Primordial+Situational

4. Simulations and Dissimulations
Baudrillard (1995)
Dissimulation = the masking of reality by presupposing its absolute existence
= the inauthenticity of Product Authenticity
Product Authenticity can never be absolutely confirmed
Simulation = ‘devours’ reality, leaving nothing except signs which merely refer to each other
‘ Reality’ created and supported by mass media
Disneyland as a Virtual Reality
Film & Movie Tourism
But also - Ethnic Histories / Traditions / Identities
= Social inventions and the recycling of myths
Similar to: Situational Authenticity

1. Experience – 2. Tourism Industry – 3. Situational – 4. Simulation
1. Experience – 2. Host Community – 3. Premordial – 4. Dissimulation
1. Product-Factual – 2. State Regulation – 3. Premordial – 4. Dissimulation
1. Product-Locational + Experience – 2. Tourism Industry - 3. Primordial+Situational – 4. Simulation

5. Objective, Constructive & Existential Authenticity (Ning Wang 1999)
Objective Authenticity
Authenticity of objects; “Objective” measures
Constructive Authenticity
Socially constructed authenticity
Believability based on points of view, beliefs, perspectives, or power elites
Relative, negotiable, contextually determined, and even ideological
Ex istential Authenticity
Personal subjective feelings of authenticity
Can be unrelated to Objective or Constructive authenticity
4 Types: Bodily feelings, Self-making, Family ties, Touristic communitas

1. Experience – 2. Tourism Industry – 3. Situational – 4. Simulation – 5. Constructive
1. Experience – 2. Host Community – 3. Premordial – 4. Dissimulation – 5. Existential
1. Product-Factual – 2. State Regulation – 3. Premordial – 4. Dissimulation – 5. Objective
1. Product-Locational + Experience – 2. Tourism Industry - 3. Primordial+Situational– 5. Existential (body feelings?)

Scales of Authenticity in Theme Towns
Spontaneous Retail Districts
Developed unselfconsciously over a long period of time
Higher Object Authenticity - Lower Existential Authenticity
Renovation Programs
Usually part of a historic preservation effort
An attempt to preserve the past in an authentic manner
False Facades
Placed over existing store fronts
These include many Western and European theme towns
Recreated Downtowns
Newly created shopping centers emulating images of a specific theme;
the Postmodern “Simulcra” and the “Fantasy City”
“ Main Street” in Disneyland; Las Vegas Casinos
Lower Object Authenticity - Higher Experiential Authenticity

Theme Town Formation Revisited
Original Factors Influencing Theme Town Formation
Economic Restructuring – pushing change
Mass Images – framing change
Architectural Resources – level of ‘authenticity’
Location / Access – resource & visitor markets
Cultural Heritage / History – a human resource
Other Factors – as seen through the Case Studies
Local Agency
Identifiable Individuals often serve as spark of change
Local Politics
Multiple interpretations of themes is common
One usually predominates + guides development
Negotiation of Authenticity, Meaning and Significance
Multiple interpretations of ‘Success’ and ‘Quality’
economic, cultural, social, design, others?…

My Heritage Can Beat Up Your History
History is:
A Product Feature
Government & Hosts
Primordial
A Simulation
Objective
Heritage is:
Experiential
Tourist Industry & Tourist
Situational
A Dissimulation
Constructed and Existential

Sources
Athinodoros Chronis and Ronald D. Hampton, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Authenticity at Gettysburg. Advances in Consumer Research - V33, 2006 – pp.367-368
Philip Feifan Xie, A Life Cycle Model for Aboriginal Arts Performance in Tourism: Perspectives on Authenticity, J of Sustainable Tourism, V.14, N.6, 2006, pp.545-561 and
Stroma Cole, 2007. Beyond Authenticity and Commodification. Annals of Tourism Research v.34, N.4, pp.943-960/
Hitchcock, m. 1999. Tourism and ethnicity: Situational perspectives. International Journal of Tourism Research 1, 17–32
Baudrillard, Jean. 1995. Sociedade de consumo, A. Rio de Janeiro. Elfos.
Objective, Constructive & Existential Authencity
Ning Wang. 199. Rethinking Authencity in Tourism Experience. Annals of Tourism Research, Vol.26, No.2, pp.349-370.

http://architektonblog.blogspot.com	473
http://architektonblog.blogspot.com.ar	19
http://travelgeography.blogspot.com	18
http://architektonblog.blogspot.mx	9
http://www.slideshare.net	8
http://architektonblog.blogspot.com.es	4
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com	1
http://www.google.com.sv	1
http://architektonblog.blogspot.fr	1
http://travelgeography.blogspot.co.uk	1
http://bblp.eur.nl	1

Defining Place Authenticity: My Heritage Can Beat Up Your History

by Alan Lew on Jul 24, 2007

Accessibility

Tags

Upload Details

Usage Rights

11 Embeds 536

Statistics

Defining Place Authenticity: My Heritage Can Beat Up Your History — Webinar Transcript