Abstract
This paper takes its starting point in literature on retail geographies to discuss
a relatively unexplored relationship between globalization and the significance
of place for retail in global tourist destinations. Based on fieldwork conducted
in Hoi An, Vietnam, it shows how local clothing retailers, the so-called tailor
shops, that sell their products to foreign tourists become part of a ‘planned
authenticity’ that characterize the city. While clothing products in Hoi An retain
an image of being produced by local and traditional tailors, the production is
becoming increasingly industrialised and transcends multiple territories. The
paper identifies three segments of tailor shops, distinguished by their various
relations to ‘the global’. It argues that their unequal opportunities are highly
embedded in Vietnam’s transitional political economy, and also connected to
the ways that authenticity is intentionally created and linked to the global in
the city of Hoi An.
a relatively unexplored relationship between globalization and the significance
of place for retail in global tourist destinations. Based on fieldwork conducted
in Hoi An, Vietnam, it shows how local clothing retailers, the so-called tailor
shops, that sell their products to foreign tourists become part of a ‘planned
authenticity’ that characterize the city. While clothing products in Hoi An retain
an image of being produced by local and traditional tailors, the production is
becoming increasingly industrialised and transcends multiple territories. The
paper identifies three segments of tailor shops, distinguished by their various
relations to ‘the global’. It argues that their unequal opportunities are highly
embedded in Vietnam’s transitional political economy, and also connected to
the ways that authenticity is intentionally created and linked to the global in
the city of Hoi An.
Original language | English |
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Publication date | 2015 |
Number of pages | 1 |
Publication status | Published - 2015 |
Event | Fourth Global Conference on Economic Geography 2015: Mapping Economies in Transformation - University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom Duration: 19 Aug 2015 → 23 Aug 2015 Conference number: 4 http://www.gceg2015.org/ |
Conference
Conference | Fourth Global Conference on Economic Geography 2015 |
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Number | 4 |
Location | University of Oxford |
Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
City | Oxford |
Period | 19/08/2015 → 23/08/2015 |
Internet address |