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Social Science Asian Studies

Fire Dancers in Thailand's Tourism Industry

Art, Affect, and Labor

by (author) Tiffany Rae Pollock

Publisher
Cornell University Press
Initial publish date
May 2024
Category
Asian Studies, Men's Studies, Regional & Ethnic
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781501774928
    Publish Date
    May 2024
    List Price
    $175.95
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781501774935
    Publish Date
    May 2024
    List Price
    $37.95

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Description

Fire Dancers in Thailand's Tourism Industry explores the evolution of fire dancing from informal community jam sessions into the iconic, tourist-oriented performances at beach parties and bars, through a close consideration of the role of affect in the lives of fire dancers in the ever-changing scene.

Rather than pursuing the common notion that tourism industries are exploitative enterprises that oppress workers, Tiffany Rae Pollock centers the perspectives of fire artists themselves, who view the industry as simultaneously generative and destructive. Dancers reveal how they employ affect to navigate their lives, art, and labor in this context, showcasing how affect is not only a force that acts on people but also is used and shaped by social actors toward their own ends. Fire Dancers in Thailand's Tourism Industry highlights men as affective laborers, investigating how they manage the eroticization of their identities and the intersections of art and labor in tourist economies. Exploring moments of performance and everyday life, Pollock examines how fire artists reimagine their labor, lives, and communities in Thailand's tourism industry.

About the author

Contributor Notes

Tiffany Rae Pollock works at York University in research administration. This is her first book.