Understanding Travel Choices and Behavior through Ethnography
Location
3000
Format Type
Paper
Format Type
Paper
Start Date
January 2016
End Date
January 2016
Abstract
Ethnography involves the study of people in naturally occurring settings by methods of enquiry which capture their social meanings and activities. The researcher attempts to participate in the phenomena being studied and share the emotional experiences of the research subjects, thereby learning to understand the reasoning behind their attitudes and behaviour. Ethnography is proving to be an important development in contemporary transport research, with the degree of interest growing steadily in recent years. This is particularly the case involving locations that are themselves on-the-move (such as buses and trains) as opposed to locations which travellers pass through (i.e. stops and stations). ‘Travel ethnography’ allows the researcher to more easily conduct research within the former context, simulating in various ways the many and interdependent forms of intermittent movement of people, images, information and objects. This paper examines the travel choices and behaviour of people with dyslexia, a specific learning difficulty which mainly affectsthe development of literacy and language-related skills. The findings undoubtedly advance the understanding of travel ethnography and the usefulness of this school of thought, given that it restores the emotional content of human lived experiences. Through ethnography (using participant observation as the primary research method), the researcher has been able to capture and convey the richness that people with dyslexia attribute to travel and transport, and connect with the informational and emotional setting within which this group finds themselves.
Understanding Travel Choices and Behavior through Ethnography
3000
Ethnography involves the study of people in naturally occurring settings by methods of enquiry which capture their social meanings and activities. The researcher attempts to participate in the phenomena being studied and share the emotional experiences of the research subjects, thereby learning to understand the reasoning behind their attitudes and behaviour. Ethnography is proving to be an important development in contemporary transport research, with the degree of interest growing steadily in recent years. This is particularly the case involving locations that are themselves on-the-move (such as buses and trains) as opposed to locations which travellers pass through (i.e. stops and stations). ‘Travel ethnography’ allows the researcher to more easily conduct research within the former context, simulating in various ways the many and interdependent forms of intermittent movement of people, images, information and objects. This paper examines the travel choices and behaviour of people with dyslexia, a specific learning difficulty which mainly affectsthe development of literacy and language-related skills. The findings undoubtedly advance the understanding of travel ethnography and the usefulness of this school of thought, given that it restores the emotional content of human lived experiences. Through ethnography (using participant observation as the primary research method), the researcher has been able to capture and convey the richness that people with dyslexia attribute to travel and transport, and connect with the informational and emotional setting within which this group finds themselves.
Comments
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