School of Hospitality and Tourism

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https://hdl.handle.net/10292/686
Research in the AUT School of Hospitality and Tourism not only informs the global academic community, they also focus on developing practical research outcomes. Their research is targeted at improving the tourism industry and the people that depend on its success.

The School also works closely with the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute to develop funding to support research initiatives and to provide graduate students with opportunities in research activities.

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Browsing School of Hospitality and Tourism by Author "Booth, A"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Changing cultural economy in the production of Indian performance
    (The Asian Migrations Research Theme, the University of Otago, 2014-08-25) Booth, A
    This paper focuses on cultural economy, the “set of socio-economic relations that enable cultural activities” (Pratt, 2008, p. 49). It examines the production and representation of culture as a function of the economic relations that enable successful production and the diverse set of partially connected economies in the diasporic setting of Auckland’s South Asian community. The paper is based on ethnographic research between 2010 and the present. Of events presenting Indian performance culture produced within Auckland’s South Asian community, roughly 5% are entirely economically self-sufficient. Most producers rely on a set of economic relationships to supplement the revenues generated by the event itself. Producers activate economic relationships through other kinds of relationships; social, political, cultural identity, family or commercial, but as economic relationships they also depend on mutual self-interest and the potential for mutual economic benefit. The findings demonstrate the formulation of various production networks that affect the economic and cultural value to the South Indian community. Recent concerts and festivals demonstrate how the activation of social relationships plays as economic relationships that add value to various levels of the cultural economy. Value is not limited to within the local community as relationships engage transnational communities and funding partners that influence event production practices. Issues around economic relations that enable cultural activities have all been reformulated in the context of a changing diasporic population (both in size and makeup) and a changing event and festival landscape in the “new” supersized Auckland.
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    Global India and cultural space in Auckland’s performance scene
    (Graduate School of Management, the University of Auckland, 2013-11-22) Booth, A; Chung, H; Clark, P
    This paper presents recent ethnographic research that focuses on young, educated recent migrants from India who are creating cultural space through live performance events, Their emerging voices challenge the establish cultural performance environment and the conventional notions of “Indian” cultural identity in Auckland. The transcultural, transnational and diasporic nature of the performance environment they practice creates an alternative understanding of culture reflected in their event content as well as production practices. For these producers and performers hip hop and rock are as much a part of Indian identity as sitar or bharatanatyam. They grew up in an India that was post liberalisation when global popular culture entered India via radio, cassettes and satellite TV and since 1996, India MTV, a channel specialising in music, reality, and youth culture programming. The research demonstrates the shifting patterns of cultural flows (Hannerz, 1997) of ‘global’ Indian popular youth culture identity. This growing voice is actively seeks a place in Auckland’s cultural production market. Data was collected by interviewing producers and performers of in Auckland who are part of a growing global, transnational Indian performance scene. The case studies demonstrate various cultural perspectives based on individual understandings of India as a place they have lived, visited or vicariously experienced through family and the virtual world. They offer the various cultural perspectives of Auckland’s new ‘global India’ performers and producers who are transforming the content, practice, and place of Auckland’s Indian cultural performance scene.
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    Producing Bollywood: sustainability and the impacts on Auckland’s cultural economy
    (New Zealand India Research Institute (NZIRI), 2014) Booth, A
    This paper examines the variety of ways producers, as entrepreneurs; create sustainable production networks within the local as well as connecting to global Indian communities. This ethnographic research demonstrates various ways that producers depend on relationships to create sustainable production networks that in turn impact the cultural economy of India as well as the local Indian community. Cultural economy is considered as the “set of socio-economic relations that enable cultural activities” (Pratt, 2008, p. 49). Of events presenting Indian performance culture produced within Auckland’s Indian community, roughly 5% are entirely economically self-sufficient. This results in producers of overseas Bollywood performance events relying on the support of local business sponsors. The findings demonstrate the formulation of various production networks that affect economic and cultural value to the Indian community and the associated cultural economy. Issues of economic sustainability are raised and demonstrates how one event can have significant repercussions on a local businesses. This is illustrated through a case study featuring a 2013 concert in Auckland featuring the highly popular and expensive Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan. Successful events are important not only for individuals’ economic goals; they also have the potential to contribute to the building of social capital and strengthen cultural communities that contribute to the larger cultural economy. Value to the cultural economy is not limited to within the local community as relationships engage transnational communities and funding partners that influence event production practices. Issues around economic relations that enable cultural activities have all been reformulated in the context of a changing diasporic population (both in size and makeup) and a changing cultural performance landscape in the “new” supersized Auckland. This combined with the rising prices of Bollywood stars playing to the desires of the diaspora can have major impacts on the sustainability of production networks and the local business community.
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    Production Networks: Indian Cultural Production in Aotearoa, New Zealand
    (Varna University of Management, 2016) Booth, A
    No abstract.
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    Rethinking Blackboard: teaching models for interactive learning
    (School of Hospitality and Tourism, Auckland University of Technology, 2015) Booth, A; Kim, J; Kim, PB; Poulson, J
    This paper considers alternative methods of teaching modules within the Blackboard delivery format demonstrating an interactive learning tool in a web based learning environment. We explore ways to go beyond simply training students in the use of digital tools and instead investigated an experiential approach to interactive learning. We adopted a content management systems (CMS) approach to transform teachers into facilitators for meaningful student engagement and the development of critical, creative, and ethical behaviour (Morellato, 2014, p. 185). Our prototype links Blackboard delivery into Cloud based learning. Our goal was to create an interactive platform in which students can share group work, while preserving the student’s own personal creations for future projects as e-portfolios to be shared with others, including perspective employers. The findings suggest that we have created a strong, student-focussed conceptual tool. Our conclusions and recommendations point to further areas of research and development required before our prototype is ready to be applied across Hospitality and Tourism education.
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    The impact of immigration policy on Indian arts in New Zealand
    (New Zealand India Research Institute and New Zealand South Asia Centre, the University of Canterbury, 2015) Booth, A
    Changes in NZ’s immigration policy (2003) have resulted in the recent growth and diversity of New Zealand’s Indian population by 48% since 2006, with the majority Auckland based (Friesen, 2008; Statistics New Zealand, 2013). It appears that the diversity of the Indian diaspora under which by the immigration policy has operated in direct opposition to the current cultural policy, which has reduced support to communities, centralized control of cultural production, and sought to recruit ethnicity as a feature of the pursuit of tourist dollars. Tensions arise within the growing populous reflecting the diverse nature of the diaspora migration experience and cultural differences within the Indian subcontinent. This study considers the growing market for events targeting the Indian community presented by producers inside and outside of the community. Who has access to government funding is an emotive topic. Not all feel they get supported on an equal platform. This is compounded when government support of ‘cultural’ events for their own political and economic development; the local Indian community is left in a tricky situation and riddled with tension. This study aims to unpack some of the complexities this current situation.
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    Whose Diwali is it? The case of the Indian Community and Auckland City Council
    (School of Hospitality and Tourism, Auckland University of Technology, 2013-12-10) Booth, A
    This paper interrogates the ways that governmental agendas may affect the representation and expression of cultural identity. I trace factors that have transformed the production of Diwali, in Auckland, New Zealand. In 1998, Auckland Indian Association (AIA) started a public Diwali celebration responding to the rapidly growing Indian community population and needs for collective expression and enjoyment of one of India’s most important cultural celebrations. Government support, beginning in 2002, recognized the potential political and economic benefits of cultural celebrations by launching Diwali: Festival of Lights with AIA. By 2004, Auckland Council had gained increasing control over all aspects of event production practices. By 2013, the local Indian press was reporting voices of dissent concerning Diwali’s Bollywood/Panjabi content, noting that the representation of Indian performance culture is now determined by management decisions made by the Council and their selected sponsors. Government support has become government control, transforming a community celebration into a “Major Civic Event” that executive decisions seek to align with larger tourism and economic development strategies. The altered Diwali festival management structure has disenfranchised the local community and the power of community representation. This study demonstrates how power enables as well as constrains musical performance and cultural identity.
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