Written by: Ann Teoh
Professor Michael Hitchcock Professor Dr. Michael Hitchcock, the Academic Director and Dean of IMI University Centre, is a renowned author having refereed journal papers as well as written and edited fourteen books. He obtained a BA Hons from Queen’s University, Belfast, and completed his doctorate from Linacre College, Oxford University. He was awarded Professor at the University of North London. Professor Hitchcock’s key research areas are in Tourism, Heritage and Business Culture.
Lecture Series
Recently, Professor Dr. Hitchcock was in Malaysia to attend KDU’s Convocation 2010 and to confer degrees and diplomas to graduates from the School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts. He also presented his paper on Gastronomy and Ethnicity: Situational Approaches at the Lecture Series organised by KDU’s School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts on 22 September, 2010. Not a stranger to Malaysia as he had taught in Universiti Putra Malaysia for a semester, and fluent in Bahasa Indonesia, Professor Dr.Hitchcock shared that he loves curry, contrary to the common notion that Brits are not able to consume spicy food. In fact, Chicken Tikka Masala is a fusion between Indian and English cuisine and many Brits enjoy this dish. His lecture touched on the primodial approach and the situational approach to gastronomy.
The Primodial Approach
In layman’s terms, he explained, “Ethnicity and identity permeate many aspects of gastronomy. What we do or do not eat, and how we offer hospitality, is a matter of cultural preference. But these cultural preferences are closely linked to our identity and the cultural vales associated with it. We call this primordial view of gastronomy in the sense that we are brought up in a given culture and are taught to follow its customs and preferences. This series of given values, traditions and sets of cultural practices that belong to the community, bond people. We are bonded to our relatives and neighbours, not only by common interest, but also by the significance of the bond, which is important.”
The Situational Approach
So, what about situational approaches? This is the alternative view where we reach out to the gastronomic preferences of other cultures, adopt their standards and communicate with them through the medium of food. As Professor Dr. Hitchcock has travelled extensively, he confessed he holds a more situational view than primodial as he could relate to different cultures.
“However, an individual can be both primordial and situational, enjoying his-her own traditions while sampling the delights of other cuisines . Gastronomy is a kind of communication of the most elemental kind, and if handled with care, can promote peace and understanding, through the medium of tourism,” Professor Dr. Hitchcock explained. He illustrated with many more examples thus enlightening the students on this topic.
In concluding the presentation of his lecture, he said, “We tend to think of things in a practical sense, but we also need theories to help us with our understanding of ethnicity in situational approaches.”
New book: Heritage Tourism in Southeast Asia
As an educationist, Professor Dr. Hitchcock, together with co-authors, King V. T. and Parnwell M., have authored a book on Heritage Tourism in Southeast Asia. Published by NIAS Press, Copenhagen, this book was written with the objective of exploring heritage tourism from different perspectives, the pressures and responses on cultural and natural heritage management, the perceptions of the local people on heritage sites and the effects of heritage management on their lives including many other complex issues. The book revealed the disputes and the conflicts between those who conserve environmental heritage and those who chose to exploit it.
Case study: Taman Mini in Indonesia
One of the book chapters had discussed about a former project known as Taman Mini, an open air museum in Jakarta, Indonesia, which faces some complex issues. Taman Mini was initiated by the former second President of Indonesia, President Suharto, as a national identity project to encourage different ethnic groups to regard themselves as an Indonesian Group. Some of the buildings were done with great care, and although the era of nationalism has passed, it bears some history of Indonesia in nation-building.
Professor Dr. Hitchcock has raised this as a case study where instead of leaving Taman Mini as a white elephant, it can be repositioned as a good education resource. The museum can play a role to have an interpretation of this project for school groups and to further knowledge in history and education. As Jakarta is a culturally-rich city, Taman Mini is part of their rich heritage and culture; if handled well, it can attract tourists.
Case study: Repositioning handicrafts in Vietnam
Local handicrafts are souvenirs that tourists would take home as decorations, as gifts or as reminders of their travel and adventure. Another chapter of the book, has highlighted the repositioning of handicrafts which has been taken very seriously in Hai Duong, Vietnam, as handicrafts are a valuable source of revenue for the Vietnamese tourist industry. This project, initiated to help handicraft producers in marketing and costing, is a collaboration with (and funded by) the European Commission, the An Viet Foundation in London, the London Borough of Hackney, Leeds Metropolitan University and Shannon Development (a consultant wing of Limerick City Council).
A book for conservationists and academic researchers
Conscious of the debate about the role of heritage in South East Asia in economic development, Heritage Tourism in Southeast Asia with its summarised intellectual arguments and collection of case studies, is a valuable source in stimulating debates and is a necessary reference book for students, academic researchers, government and non-government agencies.
Professor Dr. Hitchcock added that it can be a spring board for policy makers involved in the conservation of culture and heritage sites.
The Journal of Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality Management
As KDU University College is moving into exciting times, he commended on the effort made by the School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts (SHTCA) in mooting the idea of the e-journal on hospitality sustainability, which is so necessary for higher education. The Journal of Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality Management – an International Journal (http://researchatkdu.zxq.net/) aspires to be a leading platform for the advocacy of sustainable tourism and socially responsible management practices in the hospitality and tourism sector. A search on this website shows that research papers are being invited related to sustainable tourism, responsible tourism, corporate social responsibility, hospitality and tourism ethics and other contemporary issues.
“It is beneficial in attracting and sharing of ideas and knowledge which tertiary students will find stimulating. Since this idea was mooted by the staff of SHTCA, this is an effort which IMI University Centre will emulate,” Professor Dr. Hitchcock assured.
Sustainability development
As an anthropologist and an analytical writer on the subject of tourism, culture, heritage and development in Southeast Asia, the topic on sustainability development is close to his heart. He described Switzerland as being able to combine a dynamic private sector with a very powerful conservation ethos unlike many countries where the private sector has little interest in conservation practices. “A lot can be learned from Swiss practices. Whilst Malaysia desires to be a high-tech society, it lacks the sustainability approach to do so although it has conservation-minded practitioners and authors with expressed concerns about sustainability practices. Switzerland shows that a wealthy society is not necessarily incompatible with a sustained environment as its vision is in long term wealth creation.”
“However,” he added, “Switzerland can be inward-looking as it is highly successful but it can also learn from others and also learn about sustainability development from Malaysia as well. He cited the reliance of the mono crop, palm oil, which is produced by Malaysia, but has a strong impact in Europe and in Switzerland where cosmetic manufacturers rely strongly on its use.
Professor Dr. Hitchcock hopes that with the interaction between IMI University Centre and KDU University Centre, much can be shared and learned together.
Professor Dr. Hitchcock poses with the management team
from the School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts
From left: Gabriel Lau, Sharizal, Professor Hitchcock,
Oliver Suresh, Kitty Lee (Strategic Dept Manager) and Dr Rod Allan
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