Tourism and social representations of Sherpas from Nepal

Roshis Krishna Shrestha, Michelle Whitford and Jing Zhang

Annals of Tourism Research, 2025, vol. 113, issue C

Abstract: Sherpas are Indigenous people from Nepal's Khumbu region. This study examines social representations of Sherpas in media articles since the 1950s. Using social representation theory and complexity theory, it explores how Sherpas navigate externally imposed representations while redefining themselves as cultural ambassadors, entrepreneurs, and environmental leaders. Using discourse content analysis (combining critical discourse analysis with summative content analysis), this study identifies three forms of representation acceptance: enduring, evolving and emerging. It introduces the concept of intergenerational representation entrapment, highlighting the tension between traditional roles and aspirations for socio-economic mobility. The study advocates for a nuanced understanding of Indigenous representations, arguing that tourism can be a transformative platform for empowerment and socio-economic progress beyond traditional labour roles.

Keywords: Sherpas; Complexity theory; Indigenous representations; Representational justice; Representation negotiation; Social representation theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738325000878
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:anture:v:113:y:2025:i:c:s0160738325000878

DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2025.103981

Access Statistics for this article

Annals of Tourism Research is currently edited by John Tribe

More articles in Annals of Tourism Research from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().