Drömmen om att resa utanför det egna landets gränser och upptäcka andra länder och kulturer blir allt vanligare och möjliggörs i och med allt billigare flygbiljetter. I och med detta har även backpackingresor tenderat att öka de senaste decennierna och har även kommit att bli något av ett socialt fenomen i Sverige. Uppsatsen berör fenomenet backpacking och vad en backpackingresa har för betydelse för identitetsskapandet hos den enskilde individen. Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka huruvida en backpackingresa motsvaras av en inre resa hos individen. Backpacking är sedan tidigare utforskat inom andra discipliner och uppsatsen önskar bidra till forskningsområdet med ett socialpsykologiskt perspektiv. Valda teorier utgår från den symboliska interaktionismen och innefattar Meads teorier om samspelet mellan individ och samhälle i den sociala handlingen samt Giddens teorier om identitetsskapande i det globala samhället. Det empiriska materialet består av åtta intervjuer med unga svenska backpackers. Resultatet från studien visar att informanternas identitet förändrats genom resan samt att de genomförde resan vid en brytpunkt i deras liv. Vidare belyser resultatet att resan används i syfte att skapa en berättelse om sig själv och att den även kan användas som en statusmarkör för omgivningen. / The dream of traveling abroad and to discover different countries and cultures are becoming more common and is made possible with cheaper airline tickets. Backpacking has tended to increase during the last decades and has come to symbolise a new social phenomenon in Sweden. This paper concerns the phenomenon of backpacking and how backpacking is significant for the creation of an identity of the individual. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether a backpacking journey corresponds to an inner journey of the individual. Backpacking has already been explored in other disciplines and this paper wishes to contribute to existing research with a social psychological perspective. The selected theories are based on a symbolic interactionist perspective, which include Mead's theories about the interplay between the individual and society in social action and Giddens' theories of identity formation in the global community. The empirical data consists of eight interviews with young Swedish backpackers. The result of the study show that the informant’s identities changed during and after their trip and that they completed their journey at defining moments of their lives. The result also highlights that the journey can be used in order to create a story about the self and also that some of the informants may use their journey as a status marker to their surroundings. v

This thesis examines the search for self in the context of lifestyle travellers. It has been suggested that maintaining a coherent sense of self has become problematic in late modernity as the socially constructed notion of a 'true self' has come to be regarded as concrete, whilst choice has increasingly replaced obligation or tradition as a basis in defining selves. Issues of self have been noted as especially important in the context of adopted lifestyles, as lifestyle can be a means through which individuals seek coherence in their lives. Furthermore, travelling to 'find one's self' has a lengthy tradition in popular literature that has also been reflected in tourism studies where research has been conducted into backpacker and traveller identities. Lifestyle travel is a post-traditional way of life wherein individuals are voluntarily exposed to an array of cultural praxes. Thus, the literatures on self, lifestyle and tourism point to lifestyle travel as a context where issues of self may be particularly relevant. Whilst there is a significant and growing body of research within tourism studies on backpackers, there is a dearth of information on individuals that travel as a lifestyle. Therefore, this thesis contributes to academic knowledge not only through its investigation into the search for self, but also by its conceptualisation of and empirical research into lifestyle travellers. With criteria for defining lifestyle travellers based on of a fluid combination of self-definition of travel as one's lifestyle and multiple trips of approximately six months or more, twenty-five semi-structured in-depth interviews were carried out by the researcher with lifestyle travellers in northern Indian and southern Thailand from July through September 2007. In keeping with the paradigmatic ideals of interpretivism, emergent themes were identified from within the qualitative material including meanings that the lifestyle travellers attached to the search for self, surrounding issues of avoidance and seeking that influenced why they travelled as a lifestyle and their future travel intentions. Although there were multiple perspectives on how the search for self was conceived and approached, searching for self was voiced as a critical motivating factor for the majority of the lifestyle travellers. With a common view among most of the respondents of self as an internal object to be developed, many lifestyle travellers had been or were still on a Romantic modern quest of searching for their true self. Escapism, freedom and learning through challenge were identified as important themes surrounding the search for self, as lifestyle travellers described varying degrees of success in escaping their home societies and finding increased free space and time to learn about and challenge their ideas of self. Paradoxically, most of the lifestyle travellers sought to experience an inner self that dominant sociological views posit does not exist. The tension of searching for a unified sense of self in a world of relational selves is highlighted as not only problematic for the interviewees, but also for previous tourism studies that have premised their contributions on the existence of an inner self.

<p> </p><p>The thesis discusses the backpacking culture in Ecuador. It proposes a clarification of the issue and discusses the problem from two perspectives. Questions are raised about the backpacking identity, the backpacking travel style and how they use given facilities in the host country. The work focuses and analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the destination through the lens of a backpacker. The empirical material is taken from intensive interviews conducted in Ecuador.</p><p>A discussion reviews the backpacking identity, how and why backpackers travel; and the backpacker’s opinion about sustainable tourism in South America. In addition, the thesis concentrates on the travellers’ finances and how they prepare for an extended journey.</p><p> </p>

This qualitative study "It’s all about catching the possibilities” by Erica Mogel and Josefine Ekenstein investigates the reasons why the respondents continue to travel on backpacker trips and how they experience personal development in connection with travelling. The empirical material was collected through interviews where the interviews were formulated through two questions that were based on the theoretical framework used in the study. The theoretical frameworks used are Pearce’s (2005) Travel Career Ladder and theories of identity creation by Giddens (1997) and Durkheim. Finally, the most frequent driving forces are presented to the repeated backpacking as well as how the individual experiences developing during the trips. The study reveals that personal development in connection with travelling can be manifested in many different ways. The greatest development among the interviewees in this study has taken place socially. The main motives for continued travel were to find a sense of freedom that the interviewees thought could only be experienced when travelling. The interviewee’s premises at home enabled this type of recurring travelling. / Denna kvalitativa studie “Det gäller att passa på när man kan” av Erica Mogel och Josefine Ekenstein undersöker motiven till varför intervjupersonerna fortsätter att åka på backpackerresor samt hur de upplever personlig utveckling i samband med resorna. Det empiriska materialet samlades in genom intervjuer där intervjuguiden tagits fram via två frågeställningar som skapats utifrån de teoretiska ramverk som använts i studien. De teoretiska ramverken som använts är Pearce (2005) Travel Career Ladder samt teorier om identitetsskapande av Giddens (1997) och Durkheim. Avslutningsvis presenteras de mest återkommande drivkrafterna till det upprepande backpackerresandet samt hur individen upplever sig utvecklas under resorna. Studien kommer fram till att den personliga utvecklingen kan visa sig på många olika sätt men att den största utvecklingen sker socialt. De främsta motiven till fortsatt resande var att finna en frihetskänsla som intervjupersonerna menade endast kunde upplevas på resande fot. Intervjupersoneras förutsättningar hemma möjliggjorde denna typ av återkommande resande.

Thesis advisor: Carlo Rotella / This country currently finds itself in a backwards way. Since the late 1970s, our policy choices have led to a significant disparity between national economic productivity and individual workers’ pay. As GDP steadily grew between 1979 and 2020, wages remained largely stagnant and many Americans now find themselves incapable of keeping up with rising costs of living. Unlike most workers struggling in this precarious economy, college students graduating from elite universities are given the choice to embark on careers in financial and consulting sectors to achieve financial stability. That stability can only be achieved through only a handful of work-options, however, can feel restrictive to many college students, meaning this new America of limited opportunity is not felt exclusively by the working class and instead can be intuited at every class level. Over the course of one dissolute summer, I sought to better understand why many students, despite having the option to work lucrative jobs, feel pessimistic about working after graduation. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: English.

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The psychophysical method of adjustment was used to determine whether slight changes in load position and comfort could have significant effects on the maximum backpack load acceptable to subjects. Four males and four females, who were accustomed to walking with backpacks, were given 15 minutes to adjust the load until it was, in their judgment, neither too heavy nor too light for an 8-hour trek. The variables in this 2³ within-subject experimental design were horizontal and vertical load position, as well as backpack type. The levels of the horizontal load position differed by a distance of 4.0 cm, which corresponds to the difference between the internal and external-frame backpacks used in the experiment. The vertical distance levels were 1/3 and 2/3 of the height of the pack. The pack types (internal and external-frame) were selected on the basis of their harnesses, to provide two distinct levels of comfort. The results indicated that the horizontal and vertical load positions did not have an appreciable effect on the psychophysically determined maximum acceptable load, although there was a significant interaction between the horizontal position and pack type. There was a significant difference in trunk angle due to Pack type and Horizontal load position. The stride rate was not affected by the treatment conditions, but it decreased significantly with the addition of load. There was a significant difference in comfort ratings between backpacks, with subjects choosing to carry 6% larger loads in the one they rated as more comfortable (the external-frame backpack). / Master of Science

Objetiva-se traçar um panorama do turismo estrangeiro independente e econômico, denominado backpacker, a nível mundial e nacionalmente, apresentando sua representatividade e taxa de crescimento no período de 1996 a 2000. Comparam-se as origens e os destinos tanto no turismo convencional quanto no turismo backpacker, compreendendo que há diferenças significativas entre os mesmos. Abordam-se os aspectos que possibilitam determinar o perfil desse segmento de turistas estrangeiros, como faixa etária, sexo, renda, nível educacional e origem, assim como as características das viagens que os backpackers estrangeiros empreendem pelo Brasil como duração, roteiro, meios de locomoção e principais atividades desenvolvidas. Provoca-se discussão sobre o tratamento dispensado pelos órgãos governamentais que estabelecem as diretrizes do turismo nacional a esse segmento de turistas estrangeiros, haja vista que o Brasil oferece condições apropriadas para atrair os backpackers e sua visita propiciaria aspectos econômicos, sociais e ambientais de nosso interesse: incentivaria a abertura de pequenos empreendimentos de capital nacional, as receitas geradas por esse público seriam de valor considerável, o intercâmbio sociocultural entre turista-comunidade seria ampliado, dar-se-ia maior valor aos artefatos produzidos localmente e a maior conscientização dos turistas às questões ambientais seria benéfica / The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of independent and budget-minded tourists from abroad, denominated backpackers, travelling around the world and in Brazil, presenting its level of representation and growth in the period from 1996 to 2000. A comparison about the origin and destination of the conventional and backpacking tourist is demonstrated, highlighting the significant differences between both. Profile of this foreign tourist market segment, comprising age, gender, income, education level and nationality, is demonstrated, as well as the characteristics of backpackers\' travelling around Brazil, referent their stay, itinerary, transportation and major activities. A discussion concerning government institutions directives for determining national targets in the tourism area as for this foreign tourist segment is demonstrated, whereby Brazil offers appropriate conditions to attract backpackers. Their visits is shown to favour economic, social and environmental issues, encouraging the opening of small businesses, income generation stimulated by these tourists, enhancing a large social and cultural interchange between the tourist and the community, adding value to products made in Brazil and raising the consciousness of tourists about environmental matters which are beneficial to everyone

Objetiva-se traçar um panorama do turismo estrangeiro independente e econômico, denominado backpacker, a nível mundial e nacionalmente, apresentando sua representatividade e taxa de crescimento no período de 1996 a 2000. Comparam-se as origens e os destinos tanto no turismo convencional quanto no turismo backpacker, compreendendo que há diferenças significativas entre os mesmos. Abordam-se os aspectos que possibilitam determinar o perfil desse segmento de turistas estrangeiros, como faixa etária, sexo, renda, nível educacional e origem, assim como as características das viagens que os backpackers estrangeiros empreendem pelo Brasil como duração, roteiro, meios de locomoção e principais atividades desenvolvidas. Provoca-se discussão sobre o tratamento dispensado pelos órgãos governamentais que estabelecem as diretrizes do turismo nacional a esse segmento de turistas estrangeiros, haja vista que o Brasil oferece condições apropriadas para atrair os backpackers e sua visita propiciaria aspectos econômicos, sociais e ambientais de nosso interesse: incentivaria a abertura de pequenos empreendimentos de capital nacional, as receitas geradas por esse público seriam de valor considerável, o intercâmbio sociocultural entre turista-comunidade seria ampliado, dar-se-ia maior valor aos artefatos produzidos localmente e a maior conscientização dos turistas às questões ambientais seria benéfica / The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of independent and budget-minded tourists from abroad, denominated backpackers, travelling around the world and in Brazil, presenting its level of representation and growth in the period from 1996 to 2000. A comparison about the origin and destination of the conventional and backpacking tourist is demonstrated, highlighting the significant differences between both. Profile of this foreign tourist market segment, comprising age, gender, income, education level and nationality, is demonstrated, as well as the characteristics of backpackers\' travelling around Brazil, referent their stay, itinerary, transportation and major activities. A discussion concerning government institutions directives for determining national targets in the tourism area as for this foreign tourist segment is demonstrated, whereby Brazil offers appropriate conditions to attract backpackers. Their visits is shown to favour economic, social and environmental issues, encouraging the opening of small businesses, income generation stimulated by these tourists, enhancing a large social and cultural interchange between the tourist and the community, adding value to products made in Brazil and raising the consciousness of tourists about environmental matters which are beneficial to everyone

Denna studie undersöker autenticitet och hedonism inom backpacking. Postmodernismen har lett till en homogenisering gällandede destinationer som backpackers besöker och aktiviteter de utför. Autentiska upplevelser blir således svårare att hitta samt urskilja på grund av den rådande massturismen. Denna studie mäter svenska backpackers uppfattningar och beteenden gällande autenticitet, med hjälp av en enkätundersökning som besvaras av 203 respondenter. Datainsamlingen presenteras i form av tabeller samt beskrivande text och analyseras med hjälp av ett teoretiskt ramverk som innefattar autenticitet, backpacking, hedonism samt välmående. Resultatet visar att svenska backpackers uppfattningar samt beteende har störst koppling till existentiell autenticitet och att den hedonistiska njutningen är en del av den moderna backpackern. / This study explores authenticity and hedonism in backpacking. Postmodernism has led to a homogenization in regards to the destinations that backpackers visit and the activities they perform. Authentic experiences are thus much more difficult to find and discern due to the prevailing mass tourism. This study measures Swedish backpacker's perceptions and behaviors regarding authenticity, using a questionnaire survey that is answered by 203 participants. Data collection is presented in the form of tables and descriptive text that is analyzed using a theoretical framework which includes authenticity, backpacking, hedonism and well-being. The result shows that Swedish backpacker's perceptions and behaviors are most closely linked to existential authenticity and that hedonistic enjoyment is part of the modern backpacker.