Representation in Recreation & Travel
DESCRIPTION: Why does representation in travel and recreation matter? For some people, portrayals of minorities in popular culture and media not only affect how others see them, but also how they see themselves. Representation therefore leads to a certain level of self-awareness for individuals as they grow up as children and throughout adulthood. Individually, you will critically analyze four travel or recreation websites of your choice. Please choose websites all in the same category (i.e. choose all destinations, all state parks, all summer camps, all travel brands etc).
Part 1 – Content Analysis: For each website – you will perform a content analysis (i.e. counting & analyzing images) of the different types of people and scenery you see represented. For each website, choose only one “page” or “tab” to focus. Some categories will be easier to identify than others, just do your best to pick a category for each person, activity and scene you see. Copy, paste & fill out this table for each of your chosen websites.
| INSERT name of chosen website here | ||
| Category | Number | Description of what is happening in the picture(s) (i.e. cooking, hiking, shopping etc.) |
| White people | ||
| Black people | ||
| People of Color (i.e. Indigenous, Asian, Indian, racially ambiguous etc) | ||
| People with Disabilities | ||
| People of a noticeable religion (i.e. Muslim, Buddhist, Mormon) | ||
| LGBTQ+ people | ||
| Male people | ||
| Female people | ||
| Image of Scenery | ||
| Other | ||
Part 2 – Critical Reflection: After performing a content analysis of all four websites, you will critically reflect on how this project influenced you and how you view representation in travel and recreation marketing material. In this reflection – provide a short discussion (i.e. 1-2 paragraphs) on each of the following bullet points (no more than one page total). In your reflection, refer back to any relevant class material.
- What did you learn from conducting the content analysis? Please include a comparison between the four websites you chose.
- Has this assignment changed how you observe travel and recreation marketing material? Explain.
- Should the travel and recreation industry be more inclusive in their marketing material? Why or why not?
- What specific advice would you give to each organization you analyzed with regards to improving their marketing material?
