Tourism and Erik Cohen in Thailand: Comparisons, Impacts, Mobilities and Encounters

Victor T King

doi:10.21315/ijaps2018.14.2.1

Abstract

Tourism and Erik Cohen in Thailand: Comparisons, Impacts, Mobilities and Encounters

Highlights

SUBSTANTIVE ISSUESThai tourism is a highly diversified, complex, and changing phenomenon, the impact and consequences of which have to be gauged within the wider processes of economic development and social change in Thai society (Cohen 2001a: 28).This paper provides a critical appreciation of Erik Cohen’s sociologicalanthropological research on tourism in Thailand sustained by a close reading of his work in this field and a face-to-face and email dialogue with him during the past three years.** It is structured around Cohen’s observation that his research did not stem from “a long-range research project”; rather it comprised “shifting and expanding interests” which “developed over the years in a process of interaction between theoretical concerns and research findings” (Cohen 2001b: ix; Cohen 2001c)
I have had the pleasure of engaging Erik Cohen in conversation in Chiang Mai on several occasions and exchanging numerous emails with him
When I mentioned that I was preparing a critical appreciation of his work, he responded generously and modestly, with reflections on his work on Thailand

Summary

Introduction

This paper provides a critical appreciation of Erik Cohen’s sociologicalanthropological research on tourism in Thailand sustained by a close reading of his work in this field and a face-to-face and email dialogue with him during the past three years.** It is structured around Cohen’s observation that his research did not stem from “a long-range research project”; rather it comprised “shifting and expanding interests” which “developed over the years in a process of interaction between theoretical concerns and research findings” (Cohen 2001b: ix; Cohen 2001c). The most important biographical appreciation of Cohen’s work has been provided by Scott Cohen (2013) who has co-authored several theoretically significant publications with Erik Cohen since 2012 (see, for example, Cohen and Cohen 2012a, 2012b, 2015a, 2015b, 2015c; and Cohen, Cohen and King 2016). The concluding comments of Scott Cohen on Erik Cohen’s work set the scene for my current project: “Encapsulating Erik Cohen’s contribution to the advancement of the field of tourism studies in a few words is a problem, for his work has been incredibly varied, covering so many ways in which tourism interfaces with the contemporary world” and “Professor Erik Cohen’s work has been absolutely fundamental to the development of tourism studies and its dissemination from both sociological and anthropological perspectives” (Cohen 2013: 109, 110)

Objectives

Conclusion