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“Wild: A journey from lost to found”: An exploration of women’s resistance to fear and other constraints; becoming empowered through solo travel

“Wild: A journey from lost to found”: 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 others”, 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.
A reflection of the discussion paper regarding female solo travel
Author: Charlotte Marris
I chose to comment on this particular discussion paper due to the shared interest in the story of ‘Wild’ by Cheryl Strayed, as well as the true reflections this paper has for myself as a woman who has ambitions to travel and is therefore likely to encounter similar situations and barriers. Personally, after watching the film ‘Wild’, which was based on the book, I found myself considering many of the same issues and questioned why it is that many women do have these feelings of fear and anxiety as a result of independent travel. I found it very interesting the points put forward by the author which highlight a number of reasons why women have the typical gender stereotype which is often made worse by significant media coverage that constantly implements fear and worry towards women who might be considering solo travel. I personally relate to the points put forward by the author and believe more needs to be done to create equality between both sexes with regards travel and tourism.

The way the author has used the example of ‘Wild’ as a tool for reflection and analysis really helps in contextualizing the issue, especially because it comes from a true account. It is also interesting to see how the author goes on to talk about how women are beginning to challenge stereotypes and are in fact becoming more and more confident to travel alone. A suggestion would be to possibly present research findings which may show how the proportion of females choosing to solo travel is rising, if this is in fact the case. It would also be interesting to possibly interview those who have read or watched ‘Wild’ to see if other females relate to it and if so, possibly analyse whether or not it has influenced them to travel in the future. As well as this, it would be interesting to gain a males perspective of the issues raised, to gain an insight of whether or not they do think it is an issue and whether they believe they could do more to promote equality within a travel environment. It may be that many males do not realize how their actions can greatly affect a female’s choices and feelings when it comes to choosing to travel alone, which would validate the research angle of this paper.

A point for future research would relate to how and if the tourism industry itself has shown an interest in creating equal access for both men and women within the industry and if so what has been done? Although it may be predominantly females who witness this sort of exclusion and inequality, it must be noted that there may also be certain males out there who also face these issues whilst travelling independently, but are less likely to come forward and admit to it due to these gender stereotypes that have previously been mentioned in the paper.
A reflection on the paper discussing Wild and solo female travel.
Author: Georgia Berryman
I have chosen to comment on this paper as it encompasses the same topic, female independent travel, which I wrote my conference paper on. This topic is extremely interesting to me as it presents so many possible avenues which can be explored within the same theme. On a personal level, after researching a topic which I knew nothing of previously, I found it had significant importance for women. The importance was obvious when researching the benefits from solo female travel. Women who participate in this form of travel can gain self-confidence, empowerment and try to gain equality. From this paper, I really felt that the author recognised these benefits of female solo travel and it really came across as though the author felt passionate about this topic.

The author mentioned how for women, there are significant barriers and constraints enforced onto women partaking in solo travel, such as spaces being gendered, tourism built for the enjoyment of men, and the societal ideology that women should stay at home. I would like to add that although I agree with the statement that women are increasingly resisting these boundaries to solo travel, I also feel the “traditional ideologies of the family have now shifted” (Wilson and Little, 2005:157) and so the idea that women are still struggling against the old traditional roles is not so relevant in today’s society as it has been previously.

The author mentioned that despite the barriers and constraints which are inflicted on women, there are now more numbers than ever participating in solo female travel. I felt this was such a strong point which needed to be raised. It only reinforces the benefits from solo female travel and the struggle which women have to do to negotiate the boundaries is worth it if more and more women are participating.

However, I feel that the although the author addresses, benefits and boundaries to solo female travel there are now more enablers which are present for women wishing to participate and these are not addressed. It has been noted that some of these enablers are relatively new in their nature due to the globalised and connected world. For example blogs detailing up to date accounts of solo female travel written by women whilst on their trips, may act as an enabler as it gives ideas and advice tailored to the market segment. Other ways in which women are now more enabled to participate in solo travel are the advent of tourism products tailored specifically at women. Ideas such as lowering the costs involved in single supplements and concierge trained in recommending places and attractions which are safe for female travellers (Shackleton, 2015 and Aspire, 2015).

To conclude I thought this was a passionate and well written summary which detailed the many barriers, motivations and benefits to female travel. I particularly thought that by using a secondary source such as Wild and then relating the points expressed back to the academic literature really emphasised how the theory was applicable to real life travel experiences.

Aspire (2015) Small Luxury Hotels of the World â„¢ sees rise in single female travellers. Available at: http://www.aspiretravelclub.co.uk/slh-press-release-2.aspx (Date Accessed: 21/04/2015).

Shackleton, E. (2015) Single travel is becoming more popular than ever. Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/single-travel-best-places-to-visit-9982816.html (Date Accessed: 21/04/2015).

Wilson, E. and Little, D. E. (2005). ‘A ‘relative escape’? The impact of constraints on women who travel solo. Tourism Review International, 9, 155-175