Title of the dissertationDevelopment, Equality, and Participation: Socially Responsible Tourism through Capacity BuildingSupervisorProfessor Peter BurnsInstitution awarding the Ph. D. DegreeUniversity of Brighton, United KingdomDate of defence4th July 2007Statement of the problemThe dissertation addresses a paradox: tourism was introduced in the towns of Elmina and Cape Coast in the Sub-Saharan African country of Ghana more than 15 years ago as a tool for economic development, poverty reduction and the preservation of three World Heritage Sites - the Elmina or St Georges' Castle, Fort St Jago (Elmina), and the Cape Coast or Carolsburg Castle (Cape Coast). These sites were created by foreign conquerors during the 400 year transatlantic slave trade. However, its benefits are distributed unequally and the sites are not properly preserved. One of the reasons is that the emphasis is placed on higher gross returns of foreign exchange earnings, and a greater visitor numbers, with little attention given to maximising net benefits to poor communities, and without a clear strategy of how tourism growth should contribute to poverty reduction. Ironically, in the field of development, many people argue that tourism has the potential to bring more equitable, sustainable, and even net benefits to local people (Ashley et al. 2000; 2001a, b; 2002; Burns 1999a; 2004a; de Kadt 1979a, b). This argument forms the basis of the present study.Goal and objectives of the dissertationGoals* To investigate the reasons behind tourism's seeming inability to deliver development that contributes to poverty reduction at the grass-roots level in the towns of Elmina and Cape Coast.* To generate knowledge about the inhibitors to sustainable tourism development that can be applied to other geographical areas with similar characteristics.Objectives* To investigate the relationship between the local communities, the national institutions (Ministry of Tourism, Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, Ghana Tourism Board, the local University and Polytechnic), the tourism intermediaries (Tour Operators), external state development institutions (Donor Agencies), and the slave Fortification Castles of Elmina, St Jago and Cape Coast, and thus establishing the nature of the controlling interests in the projects carried out in the locales of Cape Coast and Elmina.* To discover any forms of practice of [(Corporate) Social Responsibility] [C (SR)]1 , and to understand how its application or absence affects tourism development at a grass-roots level.* To explore the extent to which the locales of Elmina and Cape Coast fulfil the conditions needed to become competitive destinations, thus contributing to poverty reduction.MethodologyA qualitative, epistemological, interpretive approach was followed since knowledge is considered to be socially constructed, and many views exist on a single subject. Interpretations of reality are not fixed, unlike the positivist paradigm of a 'fixed reality' that corresponds to 'truth'. The gathering of data was based on participatory approaches and it was mainly derived from indigenous knowledge because it was felt that this was the most effective way to reflect the views of local people and especially those at the grass-roots level. This specific targeting and evaluation of the on-the-ground situation allowed for a more realistic and factual understanding of the conditions.Therefore to accommodate the needs of the project a hybrid research method, called Rapid Situation Analysis (RSA), was developed by combining elements of two other participatory research methods: Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) (Pretty et al. 1995). Given that this specific research is inductive in nature, a qualitative approach, and especially the employment of participatory methods were considered imperative, because they enabled the collection of data through interviews (both one-one and, focus group) and through observations, either direct or as a participant (Jennings 2001), engagement in conversations with local people or attending venues such as weddings, funerals or festivals. …