“Wild: A journey from lost to foundâ€: An exploration of women’s resistance to fear and other constraints; becoming empowered through solo travel
Author: Ellen Batteson
2 Commentries
Abstract- Gender and access to tourism, especially concerning women is an issue which has been widely researched. This paper explores issues such as the masculinised nature of travel through things such as the sexualisation of lone females and feelings of fear and the need for protection being pushed upon women by society. The discussion that follows uses the narrative ‘Wild: A journey from lost to found†by Cheryl Strayed to focus on the notion of resistance from women, to these constraints. It also looks at the feelings of empowerment as being a benefit of solo female travel; seen as a movement towards tourism becoming more equally accessible for both genders.
Keywords- Gender, Access to Tourism, Women, Fear, Empowerment, Resistance, Solo Travel
Discussion Paper:
More women today are choosing to engage in solo travel and tourism activities than ever before and this trend is set to rise (Consumer Affairs, 2013). This is interesting considering that research on the topic suggests there are clear constraints and boundaries for women when it comes to accessing tourism. There are generally inequalities in the way that men and women “use, perceive and access public places†(Wilson and Little, 2008, 169). For this paper, the narrative ‘Wild’ (Strayed, 2012) was used as secondary qualitative research to explore the concepts of resistance and empowerment in terms of gender and access to tourism. The book is an honest account of a woman’s solo travel experience along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).
It can be suggested that fear of surroundings within women is something that constrains their freedom and this can come from elaborated media reports of women being victims of violence, often at the hands of men. Society, in some ways has always put forward that women should feel vulnerable towards men, meaning that women themselves feel they have to restrict their movements in order to protect themselves (Valentine, 1989). Discrimination in this manner stems from the ideologies that women are often made to feel sexually victimised by men because of their power and oppression. This is especially the case within tourism as the industry itself is one that is considered highly sexualised in the way that it is enjoyed and marketed (Jordan and Aitchison, 2008). This ‘sexualised gaze’ (Jordan and Aitchison, 2008) that women face and the fear this entices when travelling alone was something that the accounts in Wild drew upon:
“I didn’t like the way he was looking me, openly appraising my body… my throat was clotted suddenly with fear†(Page 285)
It is evident that women were traditionally (and in some cases of society are still) expected to stay at home while public and tourist landscapes have been “built for the movement and enjoyment of men†(Wilson and Little, 2008, 170). This is because of the masculinised nature of travel and exploration (Harris and Wilson, 2007) as well as the historical notions of men needing to travel for conquests and wars and other practicalities (Kahn, 2011), all adding to the constraints that women face.
However, as is the general consensus of the accounts in Wild, women are increasingly beginning to resist the constraints. Strayed refers to it as:
“Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story to the one women are told.†(Page 51).
The idea that women should stay at home, leaving exploration of the world to men is being resisted by women doing the exact opposite, as Cheryl Strayed did on the PCT and as many other women do when engaging in travel, both solo and when accompanied by other women. Today, “women are increasingly refusing (whether consciously or unconsciously) to be bound by their constraints and are finding ways to negotiate and resist†(Harris and Wilson, 2007, 238). Wearing and Wearing (1996) describes leisure as becoming a “heterotopia†due to it being used as a way to resist, rather than submit, to a society which is male dominated. Through travel, women become active and independent, they escape the gendered ideologies of what is ‘feminine’ (Harris and Wilson, 2007) and ultimately become empowered.
The empowering elements of female solo travel can be identified as the motivational factors for women resisting the constraints put upon them. Wilson and Harris (2006, 161) suggest that women embark on more meaningful travel that involves “searching for an increased sense of self and reconsidering their perspectives of life, society and their relationships with othersâ€, as is concurrent in the experiences described in Wild:
“[The PCT] would both make me into the woman I knew I could become and turn me back into the girl I’d once been… in order to save myself†(pages 4-5)
This emphasises the way that women use their self-determination in order to achieve increased confidence and self-worth, battling the social stigmas that are in place related to women using public space for their own enjoyment. The accomplishment in terms of empowerment relates to the initial issues of gender and access to tourism, with women ultimately becoming equal to men in the way that they feel they can access and enjoy tourism, alone.
To conclude, it is recognised that there are definite issues in the way that gender impacts on the way that tourism can be accessed and this is evident in the accounts offered by Cheryl Strayed in Wild.
Often, social stigmas and constraints perceive women as unable to engage in solo travel due to not being powerful or strong, unable to handle themselves and in need of protection. The opposite ideas are projected onto men with “masculinity and global exploration being tightly woven together†(Harris and Wilson, 2007, 237). The idea that tourism is risky and unsafe for women does indeed put a state of fear within them.
However, this paper draws upon the theories that women are beginning to resist these fears and social constraints, and are embarking on solo travel. With this, women are becoming empowered, moving towards the idea that access to tourism is becoming more equal.
Three Key References:
Harris, C. and Wilson, E. (2007) Travelling beyond the boundaries of constraint: Women, Travel and Empowerment. In: Pritchard, A., Morgan, N., Ateljevic, I. and Harris, C. (eds.) Tourism and Gender: Embodiment, Sensuality and Experience. Wallingford: CABI. 235-251.
Strayed, C. (2012) Wild: A Journey from Lost To Found. [Kindle Edition] London: Atlantic Books.
Wilson, E. and Little, D. E. (2008) The Solo Female Travel Experience: Exploring the ‘Geography of Women’s Fear’. Current Issues In Tourism, 11 (2) 167-186.
Keywords- Gender, Access to Tourism, Women, Fear, Empowerment, Resistance, Solo Travel
Discussion Paper:
More women today are choosing to engage in solo travel and tourism activities than ever before and this trend is set to rise (Consumer Affairs, 2013). This is interesting considering that research on the topic suggests there are clear constraints and boundaries for women when it comes to accessing tourism. There are generally inequalities in the way that men and women “use, perceive and access public places†(Wilson and Little, 2008, 169). For this paper, the narrative ‘Wild’ (Strayed, 2012) was used as secondary qualitative research to explore the concepts of resistance and empowerment in terms of gender and access to tourism. The book is an honest account of a woman’s solo travel experience along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).
It can be suggested that fear of surroundings within women is something that constrains their freedom and this can come from elaborated media reports of women being victims of violence, often at the hands of men. Society, in some ways has always put forward that women should feel vulnerable towards men, meaning that women themselves feel they have to restrict their movements in order to protect themselves (Valentine, 1989). Discrimination in this manner stems from the ideologies that women are often made to feel sexually victimised by men because of their power and oppression. This is especially the case within tourism as the industry itself is one that is considered highly sexualised in the way that it is enjoyed and marketed (Jordan and Aitchison, 2008). This ‘sexualised gaze’ (Jordan and Aitchison, 2008) that women face and the fear this entices when travelling alone was something that the accounts in Wild drew upon:
“I didn’t like the way he was looking me, openly appraising my body… my throat was clotted suddenly with fear†(Page 285)
It is evident that women were traditionally (and in some cases of society are still) expected to stay at home while public and tourist landscapes have been “built for the movement and enjoyment of men†(Wilson and Little, 2008, 170). This is because of the masculinised nature of travel and exploration (Harris and Wilson, 2007) as well as the historical notions of men needing to travel for conquests and wars and other practicalities (Kahn, 2011), all adding to the constraints that women face.
However, as is the general consensus of the accounts in Wild, women are increasingly beginning to resist the constraints. Strayed refers to it as:
“Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story to the one women are told.†(Page 51).
The idea that women should stay at home, leaving exploration of the world to men is being resisted by women doing the exact opposite, as Cheryl Strayed did on the PCT and as many other women do when engaging in travel, both solo and when accompanied by other women. Today, “women are increasingly refusing (whether consciously or unconsciously) to be bound by their constraints and are finding ways to negotiate and resist†(Harris and Wilson, 2007, 238). Wearing and Wearing (1996) describes leisure as becoming a “heterotopia†due to it being used as a way to resist, rather than submit, to a society which is male dominated. Through travel, women become active and independent, they escape the gendered ideologies of what is ‘feminine’ (Harris and Wilson, 2007) and ultimately become empowered.
The empowering elements of female solo travel can be identified as the motivational factors for women resisting the constraints put upon them. Wilson and Harris (2006, 161) suggest that women embark on more meaningful travel that involves “searching for an increased sense of self and reconsidering their perspectives of life, society and their relationships with othersâ€, as is concurrent in the experiences described in Wild:
“[The PCT] would both make me into the woman I knew I could become and turn me back into the girl I’d once been… in order to save myself†(pages 4-5)
This emphasises the way that women use their self-determination in order to achieve increased confidence and self-worth, battling the social stigmas that are in place related to women using public space for their own enjoyment. The accomplishment in terms of empowerment relates to the initial issues of gender and access to tourism, with women ultimately becoming equal to men in the way that they feel they can access and enjoy tourism, alone.
To conclude, it is recognised that there are definite issues in the way that gender impacts on the way that tourism can be accessed and this is evident in the accounts offered by Cheryl Strayed in Wild.
Often, social stigmas and constraints perceive women as unable to engage in solo travel due to not being powerful or strong, unable to handle themselves and in need of protection. The opposite ideas are projected onto men with “masculinity and global exploration being tightly woven together†(Harris and Wilson, 2007, 237). The idea that tourism is risky and unsafe for women does indeed put a state of fear within them.
However, this paper draws upon the theories that women are beginning to resist these fears and social constraints, and are embarking on solo travel. With this, women are becoming empowered, moving towards the idea that access to tourism is becoming more equal.
Three Key References:
Harris, C. and Wilson, E. (2007) Travelling beyond the boundaries of constraint: Women, Travel and Empowerment. In: Pritchard, A., Morgan, N., Ateljevic, I. and Harris, C. (eds.) Tourism and Gender: Embodiment, Sensuality and Experience. Wallingford: CABI. 235-251.
Strayed, C. (2012) Wild: A Journey from Lost To Found. [Kindle Edition] London: Atlantic Books.
Wilson, E. and Little, D. E. (2008) The Solo Female Travel Experience: Exploring the ‘Geography of Women’s Fear’. Current Issues In Tourism, 11 (2) 167-186.