Oral Presentations: UC 326
Presentation Type
Presentation
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Sarah Halvorson
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Geography
Abstract / Artist's Statement
Silence-based tourism, an emerging tourism sector in Finland, is relatively understudied. This research is focused around three specific areas: 1) the geographical and historical context of silence farms (developed and potential), 2) the value of silence to the Finnish culture and economy, and 3) the role and motivations’ of Finnish farmers as they expand into this area of silence tourism, to cultivate and preserve silence spaces, and their perceptions regarding the effects that silence farms and silence experiences have on tourists. In this context, silence is referred to as natural sounds such as the chirping of birds, the rustling of the wind, or the flowing of streams and rivers. Due to Finland’s unique geographic and cultural context, the topic of silence emerges as a compelling area of study. Silence, as an experience and social goal, reflects values that are closely linked to the Finnish culture and economy. The overarching question posed by this study is: How does silence thrive in a modern society, especially considering its endangered status in the face of all-consuming urban noise pollution throughout many places in the world. This research aims to shed light on the Finnish tourism sector through engagement with farmers who operate silence farms or have knowledge about the silence farm tourism sector. This study will draw on the analysis of tourism sector documents and qualitative data collected through an online survey of farmers. More precisely, the study will examine the cultural and economic values that silence holds in Finland. The study will also determine whether there is a geographic pattern in silence farm tourism or concentrations of preferred locations for silence farms that are currently underway or planned for development. The hope is that this study will provide a new perspective on the experience and value of silence in our globalizing world.
Category
Social Sciences
The Value of Silence in Finland: A Geographic and Cultural Perspective
UC 326
Silence-based tourism, an emerging tourism sector in Finland, is relatively understudied. This research is focused around three specific areas: 1) the geographical and historical context of silence farms (developed and potential), 2) the value of silence to the Finnish culture and economy, and 3) the role and motivations’ of Finnish farmers as they expand into this area of silence tourism, to cultivate and preserve silence spaces, and their perceptions regarding the effects that silence farms and silence experiences have on tourists. In this context, silence is referred to as natural sounds such as the chirping of birds, the rustling of the wind, or the flowing of streams and rivers. Due to Finland’s unique geographic and cultural context, the topic of silence emerges as a compelling area of study. Silence, as an experience and social goal, reflects values that are closely linked to the Finnish culture and economy. The overarching question posed by this study is: How does silence thrive in a modern society, especially considering its endangered status in the face of all-consuming urban noise pollution throughout many places in the world. This research aims to shed light on the Finnish tourism sector through engagement with farmers who operate silence farms or have knowledge about the silence farm tourism sector. This study will draw on the analysis of tourism sector documents and qualitative data collected through an online survey of farmers. More precisely, the study will examine the cultural and economic values that silence holds in Finland. The study will also determine whether there is a geographic pattern in silence farm tourism or concentrations of preferred locations for silence farms that are currently underway or planned for development. The hope is that this study will provide a new perspective on the experience and value of silence in our globalizing world.