What tour guides are (not) silent about: on the social regulation of tour narratives (the case of the Kaliningrad region)
- DOI
- 10.5922/2225-5346-2025-4-4
- Pages
- 72—89
Abstract
The article analyzes the social factors that influence the content of tour narratives. Based on interviews with tour guides from Kaliningrad, the study identifies the main social requirements of guiding practice and the corresponding constraints these impose on narration. Among the key social regulators of tour narratives, the article highlights the process of socialization, the social context of the excursion itself, where group dynamics come into play, as well as institutional control. The study demonstrates that the guide is a bearer of symbolic power, manifested in the ability to ascribe meaning to objects and events, and, thereby, shape public opinion. In this sense, the guide moves beyond the role of a mere narrator, assuming the function of a creator of meanings. Guided tours perform an important social function, fostering a positive image of the territory, its history, and culture for visitors. In this regard, particular attention is paid to the political regulation of the goals and content of excursions. The study concludes that strict administrative control over tour narratives proves ineffective. The structure and content of excursions are primarily shaped by the presence of a well-developed professional habitus among guides—one that includes an awareness of the social significance of their work, a sense of social responsibility, strong communication skills, and a genuine love and respect for the region, its history, and its inhabitants.