Source Article Details

APA Citation:   Holyfield, Lori. (1999). Manufacturing adventure: The buying and selling of emotions. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography. Vol 28(1).

Abstract:
Proposes that organizational scripts and social context are powerful in shaping novice experiences as otherwise potentially paralyzing states of fear and anxiousness are transformed into general sensations of fun and excitement in "manufactured adventure." The article argues that outdoor leisure is perceived as those recreational activities that pose either a real or perceived threat to participants and that in commercial settings where the risks are minimized, the novice consumers may retain the intense emotional component that comes with adventure. The article reviews literature of the social-psychological consequences of risk taking and explores the social-psychological implications present as novice consumers increasingly engage in adventure leisure without the necessary skills and competence previously necessary to the adventure process. An ethnographic description of the emotional components of adventure from the viewpoint of a novice consumer through the experience of commercial white-water rafting is highlighted.

Keywords:   Commercial adventure recreation & emotional components of risk