Holiday Home, Sweet Home: a Phenomenological Approach to Second Home Living in Ireland

ii Acknowledgements . iii Chapter One: Introduction . 1 1.0 Chapter Introduction . 1 1.1 Why Explore the Second Home Experience? 1 1.2 Locating Myself in the Study . 3 1.3 Study Aims . 5 1.4 The Peculiarities of Researching the Tourist. 5 1.5 Thesis Chapter Outlines . 7 Chapter Two: Study Approach . 8 2.0 Chapter Introduction . 8 2.1 The Study Philosophy . 8 2.2 Locating the Researcher . 15 2.3 Reflexivity or looking in on the self . 19 2.4 Methodology. 22 2.5 Research Methods . 23 2.5.1 The Story of the Fieldwork . 23 2.5.2 The Depth Interviews . 28 2.5.3 The Diaries . 32 2.5.3.1 Diary operation in this study . 35 2.5.3.2 The Recording Device. 36 2.5.3.3 The Instructions . 37 2.5.3.4 Participant Experience . 38 2.5.3.5 Conclusion on Diaries . 40 2.5.4 The Self Directed Photography Portfolios . 41 2.5.5 Research Methods Reflections and Conclusions . 42 2.6 Analysis and Interpretation. 43 2.6.1 Diary Analysis . 45 2.6.2 Photograph Analysis . 46 2.7 Ethical considerations . 47 2.8 The Process of Writing Up . 50 2.9 Chapter Conclusion . 51 Chapter Three: Philosophical and Cultural Context . 53 3.0 Chapter Introduction . 53 3.1 Before the Post-modern: Modernity . 53 3.2 Post-modernism . 56 3.2.1 Distinctive Features of Post-modernity . 57 3.2.2 Post-modernism and Tourism . 60 3.2.3 The metaphors: The tourist, the traveller, the vagabond and the nomad . 62 3.2.4 The Post tourist – The new context for tourism? 63 3.2.5 The importance of mobility . 64 3.2.6 Perspectives on Time . 66 3.2.7 De-differentiation . 67 3.2.8 The authentic, the real and the hyperreal . 69 3.2.9 Self . 74 3.2.10 Considering Post-modern Consumption and Tourism . 75 3.3 Cosmopolitanism . 76 3.3.1 What is Cosmopolitanism? 76 3.3.2 The Cosmopolitanism of the Second Home Living experience . 78 3.3.3 Cosmopolitanism and Mobility . 80 3.3.4 Cosmopolitanism, Reflexivity and Identity . 80 3.4 Chapter Conclusion . 82 Chapter Four: Home and Holiday Home . 84 4.0 Chapter Introduction . 84 4.1 Home and Space . 84 4.1.1 Homesickness . 89 4.1.2 Diaspora . 90 4.1.3 Home and Identity . 92 4.1.4 Home and Tourism . 94 4.2 The Holiday (Second) Home . 95 4.2.1 Understanding the Second Home Owner . 98 4.2.2 Defining the Second Home Owner . 99 4.2.3 Profiling the Second Home Owner . 101 4.2.4 The Motivation of Second Home Owners . 102 4.3 Chapter Conclusion . 104 Chapter Five: Holiday Home Themes . 106 5.0 Chapter Introduction . 106 5.1 Everyday Life . 106 5.2 Family Life . 110 5.3 Friends and Neighbours . 114 5.4 Perception of Frequency of Use, Access, Mobility and Transcendence . 116 5.5 Other Holidays. 119 5.6 Activities in the Second Home . 121 5.7 Acquisition of Home . 124 5.8 Primary Home . 125 5.9 Attachment . 126 5.10 Ritual . 128 5.11 Chapter Conclusion . 129 Chapter Six: Collaborator Stories . 131 6.0 Chapter Introduction . 131 6.1 Paul’s Story . 131 6.2 Yvette’s Story . 146 6.3 Jacinta and James’ Story. 160 6.4 Freda’s Story . 170 6.5 Joanne’s Story . 181 6.6 Pippa and Angus’ Story . 191 6.7 Tom’s Story . 200 6.8 Chapter Conclusion . 207 Chapter Seven: Interpretive Reflection . 210 7.0 Chapter Introduction . 210 7.1 Distilling the Essence of the Holiday Home Experience 7.1.1 Everyday Home Life and Second Home Life . 211 7.1.2 Mobility . 213 7.1.3 Activities .