TOURISM AND ITS LIFE-WORLD IMPACT ON WOMEN: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC CASE STUDY OF AGONDA

Abstract

Tourism as a flourishing industry in Goa has exposed local population particularly women to many new changes in their lifestyle,jobs,entertainment,social life,social relationships,cultural transitions,political leadership,economic stability. Agonda,a quintessential village with crystal clear beaches used to be a quiet and secluded village till the early 90's with few tourists visiting the village, until it became a beaming tourist destination with the development of five star hotels, shacks, huts, entertainment clubs and fancy restaurants. This paper sets out to analyze the impact of tourism on local women in Agonda,and in doing so highlights the shift from traditional occupations to the exposure to a modernized job market and the emancipation and empowerment it has brought about in the lives of local women. This study aims at looking at the conflicting roles, inclusions and exclusions that operate in a local women's life because of the impact of tourism and looks at how the 'tourist gaze' has an impact on the lives of these women. The study is based on the lived experiences of the local women in Agonda, and one of the researcher being a local resident of this village has used methods such as participant observation and case study method to collect data on the lived experiences of the local women and the transitions seen in the lives of these women by the local population in general.The literature will aim at demonstrating the effects of tourism on the local woman and in doing so will bring out the changes and challenges that have not been given importance in the life of local women.