White magic: An anthropological perspective on value in Antarctic tourism

Abstract

This work explores the value of “magic” that Antarctic tourists frequently associate with their encounters of the White Continent. The argument developed here is that this magic emerges as a discourse delineating Antarctica as a radically Other to the modern Self in general, while at the same time offering a symbolic essence to modern social life that tourists actively seek out and try to capture while on the tour. Through its focus on the ambivalent and inherently contradictory values of this “white magic,” the work contributes to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research Social Science Action Group’s effort to understand various forms of value that human beings place on Antarctica.