Postmodern City

City entertainment has derived from a post-industrial core. Where work and leisure time was previously dispersed, the lines between the two have become far more blurred as society moves closer towards an experience-based economy. Technological advances and globalisation have contributed towards the transformation of society into an experiential phenomenon. Major world cities compete ferociously for attention in a world where image and branding is the key to attracting tourists, who will bring money to their city and boost their economy.

If Pine and Gilmour’s theory is proven to be correct, then what are the impacts on tourism?

Commercial capitalism found its momentum in the post-war period: the economies of major cities throughout the western world were boosted through the development, behaviours and attitudes of society’s youth. After the Second World War, western society experienced an economic boom, which brought about increased levels of work and therefore in pay; this in turn led to the mass population having a higher personal disposable income. This increase in wealth worked alongside significant technological innovations of the time (especially in mass communication/media), helping the fads and fashions of elite society to cross the boundaries and become accessible to the masses: for the very first time, everyone was able to see and sample music, fashion and lifestyles from all over the world. EXAMPLE

In the 1950/60s, this new-found means of expression through music, media and movies became the release for the angst of youth, who used the new sounds and styles of the era to rebel against the parent culture of the day. According to the CCCS, this anti-authoritarian attitude and resistance to control led to the creation of the youth ‘subcultures’. DEFINE and EXAMPLE

These youth groups had a strong need to differentiate themselves FROM WHAT?!? and in their endeavours to stand against the restrictions and control of their authoritarian...