| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 新聞研究所 === 101 === Since the 1960s, backpacking has become increasingly popular in Western world. Travelers embark upon adventures with the purpose of “exploring the real lives of others.” Half a century later, CouchSurfing, as an extension of backpacking, is starting to sweep across the world.
CouchSurfing consists of “hosts” and “surfers”. On a CouchSurfing journey, backpackers stay with the locals. From that point on, the backpackers are “surfers”, and the locals become “hosts”. The defining feature of this method of travel is the “trust between strangers”. Before meeting up in-person, hosts and surfers become “familiar strangers” through initial contact on the Internet.
Based on this “familiar strangeness”, both parties reach a highly intimate form of interaction in a short period of time. Hosts welcome surfers to sleep overnight on their couches, and surfers stay with hosts whom they have never met before. The opening-up of the house – a private space – to strangers is made possible through mutual trust between the two parties. Furthermore, it is built upon the sharing and exchange culture that exists within the CouchSurfing community.
This in-depth report investigates the “trust” and “exchange culture” found in CouchSurfing. Through field research, the first half of this report introduces the CouchSurfing’s history, and explains process of paying and receiving trust in CouchSurfing. The latter half explores how the sharing and exchange culture strengthens bonds between members of the CouchSurfing community. It also looks at how conflicts and contradictions from cultural differences can generate special memories for CouchSurfing’s participants.
Nevertheless, while most CouchSurfers try to foster the positive values of sharing and trust, some people choose to abuse the community. These people may use CouchSurfing as a channel to look for one-night stands, or as a platform to search for free hostels. While taking these negative cases into account, this report ends by showing how the community is defined by the attitudes of its participants, while reflecting upon the spirit of CouchSurfing.
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