The information use of backpackers : a socio-cultural perspective

The aim of this Master's thesis is to examine the information use among Swedish backpackers, both prior to departure and while travelling. The questions posed in this study are; which artefacts did the backpackers use, in what way were those used as tools of mediation within their social practice and how does a presumptive interaction between backpackers and information sources appear? The empirical material consists of interviews, held with eight backpackers, concerning their information use. The interviews reveal that a number of information sources are being consulted. The most commonly used sources identified in the empirical material are guide books, advice from other backpackers, fiction, TV programmes and periodicals. Among others, music was identified as a source of inspiration. The theoretical framework is the socio-cultural approach of Roger Säljö, which concerns how individuals act in relation to the social practice that they constitute a part of. Socio-cultural terms such as artefacts and mediation are very central in the analysis. The analysis pays particular attention to guide books as these were the most frequently used artefacts among the backpackers interviewed. In a final discussion it is observed that the respondents, even unconsciously, seems to be influenced by the artefacts consulted. It is also noticed that backpackers appear to be using information as tools within their social practice. The consequences of this may be direct, for example in the way in which a travel destination can be determined by the information and documents used by backpackers.Uppsatsnivå: