Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
It is interesting to note that Janiskee and Mitchell (1989) also perceive that
since there is no clear distinction between 'basic' and 'applied' research,
nor any appreciable threat to quality scholarship, there is no simmering
argument on the issue of whether applied research is good for recreation
geography. Rather, the real question is whether recreation geographers
will have the resources and the zeal to move into the problem-solving
domain on a much more widespread and consistent basis.
(Janiskee and Mitchell 1989:159)
While this may be true in a North American context, it is certainly not the case in the UK
in 2005, and a number of other countries where applied geographical research in
recreation and tourism has been viewed as dissipating the value and skills of the
geographer for pecuniary reward, or without contributing to the development of the
discipline. Ironically, however, the proliferation of 'dabblers' (i.e. people who do not
consider themselves recreation geographers, but contribute articles to journals using
simplistic notions of tourism and recreation) has grown and still abounds in the
geography and, to a lesser extent, in the recreation and tourism journals. Indeed, tourism
and recreation have been 'discovered' by geographers and other social scientists in the
late 1980s and 1990s as tourism is utilised by governments to respond to the effects of
global economic restructuring and increasing concerns over conserving the environment
(Hall and Lew 1998). Such contributions, according to Janiskee and Mitchell (1989:157),
'although welcome, are not a satisfactory substitute for output of a substantial number of
specialists doing scientific-theoretical-nomothetic research which is needed for the area
to progress'. Calls for a 'heightened awareness and appreciation of problem solving
needs and opportunities outside the traditional bounds of scholarly research' (Janiskee
and Mitchell 1989:159) are vital if academics are to connect with the broad range of
stakeholders and interests that impinge upon geography and academia. Geographers with
knowledge and skills in the area of tourism and recreation research need to develop a
distinctive niche by undertaking basic and applied research to address public and private
sector problems, which illustrates the usefulness of a spatial, synthesising and holistic
education. Even so,
the list of research undertaken by applied geographers is impressive, but
there are no grounds for complacency [as] the influence of applied
geography has been mixed, and arguably less than hoped for…. Several
reasons may account for this [including] the eclectic and poorly focused
nature of the discipline of geography and the fact that 'geographical work'
is being undertaken by 'non-geographers' in other disciplines. This
undermines the identity of geography as a subject with something
particular to offer.
(Pacione 1999a:10-11)
Even so, in Pearce's (1999a) review of tourism geography in New Zealand, many of the
geographers' applied contributions appear to have been overlooked in favour of
