Conculsion

According to www.thefreedictionary.com, the definitation of commodification is "The inappropriate treatment of something as if it can be acquired or marketed like other commodities". From this definition, I feel that tourism is the cause of commodification in cultures and traditions of Australia.

For example, when tour groups bring tourists to the Aboriginal homes to watch them perform their traditional dance, that is already a form of commodifying culture. This is because the Aboriginal people plan these dances for tourists to watch, so it is staged, and some of these dances may be sacred and not for entertainment purposes, but they perform them for tourists. This is commodifying culture because tourists would not know the cultural background of these Aboriginal people by just watching the performance.

Another example is souvenirs representing traditional items/culture. Aboriginal arts and crafts are popular souvenirs among tourists, such as musical instruments- Didjeridu, boomerangs and their paintings. As these traditional items once converted to souvenirs lose their traditional value all because of money (i.e. tourist dollars). For example, the Aboriginal paintings is a representation of stories, however those people who buy these paintings might not even know the true meaning of it and just add it on to their collection of souvenirs.

Another example is the boomerang. Boomerangs are used to stun and kill animals and to fight enemies. However, modern boomerangs are souvenirs that are playthings made of plastic or metal and boomerang throwing is now an international sport. 6 years ago when I went to Perth, Australia, I brought home a boomerang as a souvenir for my dad without even knowing the significance of it. This shows that the traditional boomerang usage has been commodified due tourism resulting in the lost of culture and traditions of the Aboriginal people.

In conclusion, I feel that tourism has indeed been a culprit in commodifying the cultures and traditions in Australia.