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| Farmers
market in Santiago. |
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| Countryside
billboard about young people. |
The
Tinker Travel Grant allowed me to continue my study of Cuban
youth and the effect of economic and tourist globalization
on notions of citizenship. The fieldwork undertaken added
to data already collected from 1998 and provided a rich data
source for my Master's thesis as well as dissertation material
for future use. The nature and purpose of my study examines
how adults residing in Cuba have been affected by changes
in their countries economy since 1998. Specifically, its
purpose is to understand how economic changes occurring in
Cuba (opening of previously closed markets, a revived expansion
of the tourist infrastructure) impact adults residing on
the island. My research goal is to obtain first hand information
on how government encouragement of tourism to Cuba has affected
people's views of themselves (identity formation), their
relations with others (Cuban citizens and vacationing foreigners)
and their hopes for their futures. The purpose of this fieldwork
is to examine what impact, if any, Cuba's opening of tourism
has on the daily lives of people living on the island. In
addition, this study may shed light on contemporary Cuban
migration: by conducting first-hand interviews with subjects
in contact with foreigners, the experiences of Cubans who
subsequently marry vacationing foreigners and then leave
the island will be better understood.
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| The
National Cabaret and the Hotel Inglaterra-two popular
tourist sites. |
During
fieldwork, I focused on three regions of Cuba for my respondent
base. Region One consisted of the urban area of Havana and
the resort town of Veradero, 140 km east of Havana. Region
Two focused on the towns of Trinidad, Camaguey and Cayo Coco,
all geographically located in the middle of the island. Region
Three, covering the eastern portion of Cuba, was comprised
of Guardalavaca, Baracoa and Santiago de Cuba. Each region
thus consisted of an historical town and a more modern tourist
community.
My
approach was qualitative in nature, so that I may develop
as detailed a description as possible as to how Cuban nationals
living in these regions negotiate relations with vacationing
foreigners. I am interested in integrating as many multiple
perspectives as possible; my respondent base provides a cross-generation
perspective. Due to the youth-oriented activities which draw
tourists, the majority of my subjects range in age from 18
to their mid-40's.
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| Sidestreet
in Habana Vieja (Old Havana). |
The
nature of this study also revolved around how respondents
view tourists; this information I hope to compare to the
experiences presented by respondents who have no interaction
with tourists. Two methods of investigation were used. I
observed and took notes about the physical surroundings of
the regions, as well as interacted with Professors at the
Universidad de Santiago, Universidad de Havana and researchers
at the Casa del Caribe who provided background information
about recent Cuban social formation and changes to the Cuban
economy. Second, I engaged in informal, open-ended interviews
with Cubans who work in the tourist sector, and those who
do not.
Approximately
50 respondents, all adult in age, were invited to take part
in this project. My principal informants (sample "A") were
men and women who work directly in the tourist industry (hospitality
workers, restaurant owners, tourist-oriented shop employees,
etc.) Secondary to this core group were Cubans who reside
in the regions listed above who have no direct daily contact
with tourists in any way (sample "B"). As the different geographic
areas of study vary widely in the economic orientation and
output (agricultural, urban, tourist based, semi-industrial),
the participants range from low through high socioeconomic
status.
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| Secretarial
school in Havana. |
I
utilized the following methodology while undertaking my fieldwork:
field notes and open-ended interviews. The field notes were
written about my experiences, activities and observations
within the municipalities of study, and in Cuba in general.
These notes I am in the process of editing to eventually
be incorporated into the context and background sections
of my dissertation. The open-ended interviews were individual
in nature.
 |
| Fieldworker
Kathryn Pimpan in action. |
Questions
asked of both respondent group "A" and "B" included standard
demographic inquiries. For sample group "A", each participant
was asked to detail her/his impressions of the tourist industry
in Cuba and the state apparatus. Interviews with sample group "B" included
questions of what prompted his or her decision to work in
an industry that is not tourist related. The descriptions
of these participants' work and life histories greatly benefited
my understanding of how tourism affects one Caribbean country,
from a worker's perspective. I also gleaned quite interesting
data on individual opinions of the Cuban state apparatus.
The possibilities allowed by the Tinker grant were enormous,
and I am grateful for the opportunity to further my research.
Kathryn
Pimpan is a PhD student in the Department of Sociology.
