Social Exchange Practices in Tourist-Local Interactions along the Bishoftu- Modjo-Hawassa Tourist Corridor, Central Ethiopia

Abstract

Empirical research findings done on the theme of tourism uncovered the presence of enormous research gap in relation to social exchange practices between tourists and locals. This article describes tourist-community interactional experiences around natural tourist attraction sites along the Bishoftu-Modjo-Hawassa Tourist Corridor, Central Ethiopia by using relevant sociological theories and methods. Methodologically, the paper followed an interpretative research philosophy and qualitative research design. Critical reviews of relevant models, theories and empirical literature were used to substantiate primary data generated through the fieldwork. The tenets of social exchange theory were central in the analysis of social exchange practices between locals and tourists in the attraction sites. The findings from the fieldwork showed that the interaction of tourists and host locals often transforms into social exchange relations that fall within the principles of rewards and costs in human behaviour. It follows that tourist-local contacts nurture human intercultural exchanges through the circulation of cultural traits, technologies, economic assets and lifestyles. In the study sites, three dimensions of social exchange were more noticeable: social, cultural, and material-technological. The end processes of social exchange relations were production of social capital and integration manifested through marriage, skill/technological transfers, and economic transactions. Nonetheless, on the courses of such processes, two issues demand serious attention: (i) ways to increase the involvement of ordinary local residents in social exchange practices as their participation were marginal during the study; (ii) structures and social networks that support social exchanges practices were less operational at institutional levels