The cultural expectation of couchsurfing host - A case study of Taiwanese hosts accommodating European couchsurfers

• Main Authors: Liao, Ke-Hsuan, 廖可萱
• Other Authors: Chen, Hsueh-I
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2017
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/ynw785

碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 歐洲文化與觀光研究所 === 105 === This study focuses on the Taiwanese couchsufing hosts’ “host gaze” upon European couchsurfers. By understanding the interaction and communication between both sides, this study tried to understand how does Taiwanese couch surfing hosts picture and create a certain image of Europe and European couch surfers, also how this imagery intertwine with the modern couch surfing society. Also, this study tried to switch the research target from couch suffers to couch surfing hosts, in order to explore more possibilities and research area for couch surfing studies. This study assumes that Taiwanese couch surfing hosts hold a certain form of cultural expectation and practice, and step further to examine the transformation of cultural imagery throughout the process. In chapter two, a brief literature review of backpacking travel, couch surfing, and emotional tourism will be integrated and introduced. In chapter three, the research target, range, and method will be displayed and explained. In chapter four, the focus will be how Taiwanese couch surfing hosts practiced the certain imagery and how they treat couch surfing as a way a life through various mediums, within the the constant switching in terms of space and identity. Also how couch surfing community has been running in Taiwanese society, and what reflection had been brought into Taiwanese community will be discussed. In chapter five, the study will be focusing on the the emotional flow and the host-guest interactions between Taiwanese couch surfing hosts and European couch surfers. The interaction between two parties has been take place in virtual spaces and actual face-to-face spaces, how this form of communication affects the way of travel will also be discussed. Additionally, how the relationships between two parties shifts and changes before and after the accommodating process will then be explored. To conclude, the study will then examine how the result echo to the assumption. Key Word : Couchsurifng, European Image, Imagery, host gaze, cultural expectation