Couchsurfing as a socio-anthropological aspect

of hospitality

Makarov KirilSpirin Aleksey

Zolotareva PolinaHigher School of Economics

(Department of Social Sciences)Высшая школа экономики, Москва, 2014

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April 19, 2023 2

Main concepts

•Couchsurfing – the global hospitality network targeted at giving travelers all over the world a possibility to find free temporary accommodation or to shelter wayfarers in their house.

•Surfer Host

•How does it work: personal profile on couchsurfing.org; searching for a host if the request is welcomed, a face-to-face interaction of both couchsurfers begins.

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History of Couchsurfing

• Started in 2004• 9 million couchsurfers• Founder: Casey Fenton• Non-profit organization certified

corporation• Values: tolerance, cultural exchange,

cosmopolitism, authenticity, emotional and intellectual growth.

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Problem statement

Economized hospitality Hospitality in its “pure”meaning

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Theoretical basis & objectiveTheory:•Goffman’s theory of frontstage & backstage•Cohen’s theory of authenticity (real life VS staged life)

Objective: to reveal the prime mechanisms of online- and offline- couchsurfers’ interactions

Object: users of couchsurfing.org (surfers/hosts)

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Sample• Russian couchsurfers• Active participants of the community• More than 2 hospitality/travel experiences• Qualitative methods (23 semi-structured interviews via

Skype/face-to-face)

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The couchsurfing boundaries

Aim: to reveal how couchsurfers perceive tourist practices and differ their community and the tourist community.

Result: сouchsurfers represent themselves as an unique social group with certain values.

Surfers are cosmopolitans who “consume the globe”.

Secondary employment and freelancePrefer civil marriage to official one

No childrenApril 19, 2023 8

Couchsurfers VS TouristsInformation plays a crucial role for couchsurfers who decrease level of uncertainty. Active quest model is key for surfers.

Trustworthy hallmarks:Positive references

Common hobbies and values of participantsPersonal request

Number of friendsUnreliable yardsticks:Lack of detailed informationNegative referencesRecent online activityNewcomer-Expert (experience)

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Couchsurfers’ motivationAim: to reveal the motives of couchsurfers while travelling or hosting.

Result: three types of motivation were found.Psychological: recognition, curiosity and personal growth. Functional: source of information (advices, leisure time). Social: interaction with local people, cultural exchange, friendship (dating).Consequently, monetary profit is not the primary motivation of surfers.

Surfers (egoistic self-interest) VS hosts (altruists) Mutual benefits & sharing

“Couchsurfing is considered to be a phenomenon of sharing. It is an exchange, acquaintance with local inhabitants, sometimes you can even find friends. In global meaning ─ it is sharing”.

Alex, 30 years, surfer/host.

.

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Gift exchange

Aim: to reveal the practices of gift-exchange developed among couchsurfers.

Result: money are not implemented in couchsurfers’ offline relations in any way.

•Money offering is regarded as: inappropriate, inconvenient and even offensive behavior.

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Gift exchange

Result: hosts were discovered to appreciate emotions and knowledge received from conversations with their guests more than symbolic gifts.Symbolic gifts are an optional part of couchsurfers’ interaction.

Result: hosts do differentiate their guests and attitude towards them.However, it is more the matter of external circumstances, not the purposeful act.

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Discussion

• Mechanisms of matching between male and female couchsurfers

• Quantitative investigation (types of couchsurfers)• Factors that exclude members from the community

(failures of trust in couchsurfing network)• To prove the argument: couchsurfing do not bear

on authenticity

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Thank you for attention!

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