Host-guest interaction: A retrospective analysis of the conflict between sons of second homeowners and local youth – The case of Vall de Lord (Catalonia)

Abstract

While various aspects of host-guest conflict have been studied, there has been little published about the relationship between the local community and second homeowners, particularly the male youth population, who often expressed their concerns in a more direct and violent manner. This is a retrospective case study of Vall de Lord, in which one of the authors was a participant, depicted as reflective, ethnographic participant-observation. Combining personal reflection with conversations in the form of interviews and focus group discussions, it provides an opportunity to apply the results to the development of a theoretical model. The findings indicate that the most important factors affecting this relationship were external (environmental), and internal (intrinsic). Appling thematic analysis the study found that the attitudes and behaviour of the local community towards the sons of second home owners sit well with Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour. This study contributes to our understanding of the relationship between local host communities and second homeowners as a social phenomenon, and how this relationship is affected by the nature of the encounter and the contested identities, values and beliefs of each group when they coexist in the same time and space.