Table Of ContentChildren, Young People and Dark Tourism
This book is the first of its kind to offer an innovative examination of the intersecting
influences, contexts, and challenges within the field of children’s dark tourism. It also
outlines novel conceptualizations and methods for scholarship in this overlooked field.
Presently, tourism research, and in dark tourism specifically, relies primarily on
adult-centered theories and data collection methods. However, these approaches are
inadequate for understanding and developing children’s experiences and perspectives.
This book seeks to inform and inspire research on children’s experiences of dark tour-
ism. Designed to appeal to students and scholars, it brings together insights from
leading experts. The book focuses on five themes, to explore the conceptual and his-
toric origins of children’s dark tourism, developmental contexts, child perspectives,
specific contexts relevant to children’s encounters, and methodological approaches.
This book is aimed at an international array of scholars and students with inherent
research interests in the contemporary commodification of death and ‘difficult heri-
tage’ within the visitor economy. Thus, the book will provide a multidisciplinary scope
within the fields of history, heritage studies, childhood studies, psychology, education,
sociology, human geography, and tourism studies. The volume is primarily intended for
undergraduate and postgraduate study, as well as scholars and tourism professionals.
Mary Margaret Kerr is Professor of Health and Human Development at the
University of Pittsburgh, where she founded the Children and Dark Tourism research
project. Dr. Kerr’s internationally recognized team, which includes youth as research-
ers, studies the experiences of young tourists at dark tourism sites. In addition to
contributing her expertise on youth coping with mass trauma, Dr. Kerr has pioneered
research in child-centered research methods for the tourism field, which historically
has overlooked children and youth.
Philip R. Stone is Executive Director of the Institute for Dark Tourism Research at
the University of Central Lancashire (UK). He is an internationally recognized
scholar in the field of ‘dark tourism’ and ‘difficult heritage’ and has published exten-
sively about the subject. Philip is also a media consultant on dark tourism, with clients
including the BBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Washington
Post. His latest book, the first-ever tourist guidebook dedicated to dark tourism – 111
Dark Tourism Places in England You Shouldn’t Miss (2021) – brings dark tourism
scholarship to the public market.
Rebecca H. Price writes about the novice researcher experience. She frequently col-
laborates across disciplines and settings to explore how individuals seek answers to
their questions. Her work can be found in library, education, and tourism outlets.
Routledge Cultural Heritage and Tourism Series
Series editor: Dallen J. Timothy
Arizona State University, USA
The Routledge Cultural Heritage and Tourism Series offers an interdisciplinary
social science forum for original, innovative, and cutting-edge research about
all aspects of cultural heritage-based tourism. This series encourages new
and theoretical perspectives and showcases groundbreaking work that reflects
the dynamism and vibrancy of heritage, tourism, and cultural studies. It aims
to foster discussions about both tangible and intangible heritages, and all of
their management, conservation, interpretation, political, conflict, consump-
tion and identity challenges, opportunities, and implications. This series
interprets heritage broadly and caters to the needs of upper-level students,
academic researchers, and policy-makers.
The Economics and Finance of Cultural Heritage
How to Make Tourist Attractions a Regional Economic Resource
Vincenzo Pacelli and Edgardo Sica
Resilience, Authenticity and Digital Heritage Tourism
Deepak Chhabra
Cultural Heritage and Tourism in Japan
Takamitsu Jimura
Medieval Imaginaries in Tourism, Heritage and the Media
Jennifer Frost and Warwick Frost
Children, Young People and Dark Tourism
Edited by Mary Margaret Kerr, Philip R. Stone, and Rebecca H. Price
Tourism and Development in the Himalaya
Social, Environmental and Economic Forces
Edited by Gyan Nyaupane and Dallen J. Timothy
Cultural Tourism and Cantonese Opera
Jian Ming Luo
For more information about this series, please visit: https://www.routledge.
com/Routledge-Cultural-Heritage-and-Tourism-Series/book-series/RCHT
Children, Young People and
Dark Tourism
Edited by Mary Margaret Kerr,
Philip R. Stone, and Rebecca H. Price
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa
business
© 2023 selection and editorial matter, Mary Margaret Kerr,
Philip R. Stone, Rebecca H. Price; individual chapters, the contributors
The right of Mary Margaret Kerr, Philip R. Stone, Rebecca H. Price to
be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors
for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with
sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978-0-367-46942-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-29169-7 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-03219-9 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003032199
Typeset in Times New Roman
by SPi Technologies India Pvt Ltd (Straive)
Contents
List of figures viii
List of tables ix
List of contributors x
Acknowledgments xv
Preface xvi
PART I
Dark Tourism and Childhood 1
1 ‘Seen but Not Heard’: Children in (Dark) Tourism
Research Agendas 3
PHILIP R. STONE
2 Young Tourists’ Experiences at Dark Tourism Sites:
Toward a Conceptual Framework 19
MARY MARGARET KERR, PHILIP R. STONE, AND REBECCA H. PRICE
PART II
Children as Tourists: Development in Context 41
3 The Youngest Tourists: Early Childhood Considerations
and Challenges 43
SUE DOCKETT
4 School-Aged Tourists: Pre-Adolescent and Adolescent
Considerations and Challenges 57
TIMOTHY M. WAGNER
5 Development of Death Concepts: Childhood and
Adolescence – Considerations for Tourist Experience
and Research 69
ANDREA CROOM AND GOPIKA RAJANIKANTH
vi Contents
6 Young Tourists with Disabilities: Considerations
and Challenges 82
CRISTINA RESTREPO-HARNER, KRISTEN MARSICO,
AND MARY MARGARET KERR
PART III
Dark Tourism and Interpretation: A Child’s Perspective 99
7 Interpretation for Children: Turning Horror and Hurt into
Healing and Hope 101
ROY BALLANTYNE, JAN PACKER, KAREN HUGHES,
AND TOBIAS BROUGHTON
8 Understanding Children’s Visits to Difficult Heritage Sites:
Children’s Sense of Place 114
R. SCOTT MARSH
9 Difficult Heritage and the Digital Child: Challenges and
Opportunities 128
GREGORY J. WITTIG
PART IV
Children within Dark Tourism: Contexts and Experiences 141
10 ‘Why Is It So Fun to be Scared?’: Entertainment
in Dark Tourism 143
MARGEE KERR
11 ‘Edutainment’ in Dark Tourism: Toward a Child’s
Perspective 155
DANIEL W. M. WRIGHT
12 ‘Deconstructing Dark History and Difficult Heritage’:
Engaging High School Students in the Use of
Historiographical Analysis Techniques 172
MICHAEL LOVORN
13 School Trips: A Unique Form of Student Learning
for Dark Tourism Studies 187
LAURA M. BURNS AND DANIEL E. KELLER
Contents vii
14 Young People and Dark Commemorative Events:
The Centenary of World War One in Australia 204
JENNIFER FROST AND WARWICK FROST
15 Identity and Belonging in a Dark Heritage Destination:
Perspectives from Local Children 218
ANTONIA CANOSA AND REBECCA H. PRICE
PART V
Dark Tourism Research and Children: Methodological
Approaches 231
16 Ethical Research with Children and Young People:
Addressing Complexities in (Dark) Tourism 233
REBECCA H. PRICE
17 Research Methods for Studying Young Tourist Experiences 245
MARY MARGARET KERR, REBECCA H. PRICE, AND GOPIKA RAJANIKANTH
18 Research Collaborations with Schools 262
MARY MARGARET KERR, CECILIA GREENE, AND R. SCOTT MARSH
19 Co-Research with Youth: A Conceptual Model
and Case Study 272
REBECCA H. PRICE, MARY MARGARET KERR, AND GOPIKA RAJANIKANTH
Epilogue: ‘Monsters and Mediating Mortality Moments’:
Dark Tourism and Childhood Encounters 285
PHILIP R. STONE
Index 292
Figures
2.1 Overview 27
2.2 Preparation for Visit 28
2.3 Site and Interpretation 29
2.4 Dynamics of Visit 31
3.1 Children Often Accompany Families on Visits to Cemeteries 50
3.2 The Children’s Peace Monument Situated in the Hiroshima
Peace Park Acknowledges the Child Victims of the Atomic
Bombing of Hiroshima 51
3.3 Visitors Are Encouraged to Ring the Peace Bell in Hiroshima
Peace Park to Promote World Peace 52
6.1 Excerpt from Museum of London Docklands Visitor Guidebook 94
6.2 Museum of London Docklands Sensory Map 95
11.1 The Mixed Reality Continuum 161
11.2 Edutainment Narratives in Real, Augmented, and Virtual
Environments 166
15.1 Children Pose for a Photo at Dealey Plaza – Site of US
President John F. Kennedy’s Assassination 221
15.2 Spectrum of Local Children’s Connection to Dark Tourism
Destination 222
19.1 Methods of Co-Research with Children and Young People 273
Tables
2.1 General Timeline with Implications for Child Dark Tourism 25
4.1 The Intersection of Development and Dark Tourism Research 63
4.2 Evidence-Based Recommendations for Guiding Students
through Dark Heritage Experiences 66
6.1 Prevalent Disabilities, Challenges, and Associated Tourist
Accommodations 87
8.1 Examples of Post-Visit Comments Reflecting Sense of Place 124
12.1 Phases of ‘Difficult Heritage’ Historiographical Analysis
Technique 177
13.1 Examples of Literature Pertaining to the Personal Context 190
13.2 Examples of Literature Pertaining to the Sociocultural Context 194
13.3 Examples of Literature Pertaining to the Physical Context 196
14.1 Interview Participants 207
17.1 Overview of Research Methods 249
