Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ewen (1984) looked at American family camping holidays and confirmed
earlier findings of women bearing the main domestic and caring respon-
sibilities. Illustrations of family holidays as potentially stressful times,
particularly for women, can be found in New Zealand because domestic
holidays traditionally occur directly after the celebration of Christmas,
which women usually plan, organise and orchestrate (Fitzgerald, 1993;
Richmond & Tolich, 2000). This is supported by other tourism researchers
(Anderson, 2001; Di Leonardo, 1992; Small, 2002), who have highlighted the
never-ending physical and emotional work of motherhood, both at home
and when travelling. In ensuring the enjoyment of others, women sacrifice
their own holiday time to plan activities that will create lasting memories
(Davidson, 1996) and feel dissatisfied when conflicts and difficulties exist
between family members on holiday (Deem, 1996b). Those studies identify
a relationship between an 'ethic of care' and motherhood and women's
family holiday experiences.
Family holidays are enjoyed by women when they provide opportunities
to nurture relationships and allow for a reduction in the pace and standards
of work. The notion of women performing the bulk of tasks while on holiday,
and especially in activities that reveal a caring ethic, is common throughout
feminist leisure and tourism literature. Thus, holidays cannot be described
as an escape from work when others (e.g. children) are involved. For many
women the continuation of domestic and caring responsibilities is merely
transposed from home to another location (Bella, 1992; Deem, 1996a; Small,
2005). Instead of a break from home, holidays for women contain obligation,
work, social disapproval and responsibility (McCormack, 1998). Rosenblatt
and Russell (1975) alluded to potential problems in family travel as families
are typically better insulated from interpersonal problems at home than
on holiday. While family holidays are seen as providing the opportunity
for both revitalisation and family bonding, there is also the opportunity for
serious interpersonal difficulties. However, the notion of families spending
happy periods together is a persistent marketing image and has long been
part of the 'mythology of tourism' (Seaton & Tagg, 1995).
It appears there is a disjunction between the ideal of happy family
holidays and the realities that apply to mothers as much as fathers. Strong
ideological notions of how parents ought to behave underpin much family
leisure (Shaw, 2010) and extend to holiday behaviour. Blichfeldt (2006)
found that providing new experiences (such as holidays) is considered a
critical element of good parenting. There are cultural standards of putting
children first whereby the character and achievements of children are linked
to the moral worth of parents (Coakley, 2006).
Fathers today are expected to be more intimate and to have greater
involvement with their children (Kay, 2009). This is deeply embedded in the
social discourse about being a good father (Daly, 1996), but the ideology of
being a 'good mother ' is still pervasive (Miller & Brown, 2005). Also, there
