title: Ethnic minority tourism in China – Han perspectives of Tuva figures in a landscape

authors: Yang, Jingjing

subjects: ethnic tourism

abstract: Ethnic or indigenous tourism has attracted significant academic research, but with the exception of Taiwan's minorities much of the research in the English language journals has been dominated by the perspective of western tourists gazing upon the minorities. Additionally such studies have tended to be quantitative in nature. This paper studies the attitudes of Han tourists towards the Tuva minority of Kanas Scenic Area and reports results derived from 650 respondents. Equivalencies with western-based research are found, with about only 11 per cent of tourists having any significant interest in minority cultures, although evidence exists that Tuva and their Kazakh neighbours contribute to destination image as figures in the landscape – a landscape that is attractive to Han tourists for aesthetic and relaxation reasons. However, while simpler analysis is found to be effective in creating clusters, a causal model fails due to issues of auto-correlation and multi-collinearity, which problems may be pertinent in other studies that report the gaze of a majority on the culture of the minority. The implications of both findings and research method are discussed.

text: Ethnic minority tourism in China – Han perspectives of Tuva figures in a landscape Ethnic or indigenous tourism has attracted significant academic research, but with the exception of Taiwan's minorities much of the research in the English language journals has been dominated by the perspective of western tourists gazing upon the minorities. Additionally such studies have tended to be quantitative in nature. This paper studies the attitudes of Han tourists towards the Tuva minority of Kanas Scenic Area and reports results derived from 650 respondents. Equivalencies with western-based research are found, with about only 11 per cent of tourists having any significant interest in minority cultures, although evidence exists that Tuva and their Kazakh neighbours contribute to destination image as figures in the landscape – a landscape that is attractive to Han tourists for aesthetic and relaxation reasons. However, while simpler analysis is found to be effective in creating clusters, a causal model fails due to issues of auto-correlation and multi-collinearity, which problems may be pertinent in other studies that report the gaze of a majority on the culture of the minority. The implications of both findings and research method are discussed.

year: 2013

title: The importance of social skills for the future of work

authors: Piercy, Gemma Louise

subjects: employability

abstract: Technological change and precarity has made social skills increasingly important in the workplace for both permanent and non-permanent staff throughout the labour market. This is especially true for those in precarious work located in the growing service sector. We argue that, in order to avoid staff becoming redundant due to technological change, which invalidates their ‘hard’ technical skills, it is crucial that Human Resource (HR) practitioners to recruit on the basis of soft skills. However, we also argue that simply recruiting soft skills is not enough to ensure the workplace has access to the kinds of social skills that are required. Providing all staff with opportunities to develop and practice their skills is essential as these are the hardest tasks to automate since customers favour personal engagement. Furthermore, for employees, cultivating and maintaining easily transferable social skills is a key part of remaining relevant in an employment relations environment where precarity is a by-product of labour market flexibility.

text: The importance of social skills for the future of work Technological change and precarity has made social skills increasingly important in the workplace for both permanent and non-permanent staff throughout the labour market. This is especially true for those in precarious work located in the growing service sector. We argue that, in order to avoid staff becoming redundant due to technological change, which invalidates their ‘hard’ technical skills, it is crucial that Human Resource (HR) practitioners to recruit on the basis of soft skills. However, we also argue that simply recruiting soft skills is not enough to ensure the workplace has access to the kinds of social skills that are required. Providing all staff with opportunities to develop and practice their skills is essential as these are the hardest tasks to automate since customers favour personal engagement. Furthermore, for employees, cultivating and maintaining easily transferable social skills is a key part of remaining relevant in an employment relations environment where precarity is a by-product of labour market flexibility.

year: 2016

title: The enowning of thought and whakapapa: Heidegger's fourfold

authors: Mika, Carl Te Hira

subjects: Maori

abstract: Throughout colonization, Maori have been constantly urged to think of their terminology, and the objects it relates to, along constrained lines. In this practice, the self and other things are arguably restricted and impoverished. However, certain frequently used Maori terms – such as “whakapapa” and “whakaaro” – may be read alongside Heidegger’s “Ereignis,” revealing a completely other sense to them than their orthodox, respective translations of “genealogy” and “to think” allow. This kind of thinking in concert with an existential philosophy is an active process that allows for the “freeing up” of entities and a colonized group. With Heidegger’s assistance, the terms, and the original sources they refer to, reflect a kind of “Geviert”/Fourfold that ensures a continual strife and interplay between things in the world and self.

text: The enowning of thought and whakapapa: Heidegger's fourfold Throughout colonization, Maori have been constantly urged to think of their terminology, and the objects it relates to, along constrained lines. In this practice, the self and other things are arguably restricted and impoverished. However, certain frequently used Maori terms – such as “whakapapa” and “whakaaro” – may be read alongside Heidegger’s “Ereignis,” revealing a completely other sense to them than their orthodox, respective translations of “genealogy” and “to think” allow. This kind of thinking in concert with an existential philosophy is an active process that allows for the “freeing up” of entities and a colonized group. With Heidegger’s assistance, the terms, and the original sources they refer to, reflect a kind of “Geviert”/Fourfold that ensures a continual strife and interplay between things in the world and self.

year: 2014