Doctor Amie Matthews

Doctor Amie Matthews

DAP - Anthropology and Sociology,
Anthropology & Sociology

Senior Lecturer,
Anthropology & Sociology

Biography

Amie Matthews is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences, where she teaches in sociology and tourism studies.  

Amie’s area of expertise is the sociology of tourism and her research interests include backpacking and youth travel, volunteer tourism, tourism and the media, mobilities and cosmopolitanism, tourist ethics and tourism impacts.  Having played a key role in the development of the Social Sciences International Placement unit in the School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Amie also has an interest in transformative and experiential learning.  She has recently co-edited the book Identity and Belonging with Dr Kate Huppatz and Dr Mary Hawkins, and is currently completing a monograph examining the backpacking culture and the role of travel in the lives of young people.  

This information has been contributed by Doctor Matthews.

Qualifications

  • PhD University of Newcastle (NSW)

Organisational Unit (School / Division)

  • Anthropology & Sociology
  • Anthropology & Sociology

Contact

Email: A.Matthews@westernsydney.edu.au
Phone: (02) 9772 6224
Mobile:
Location: 3.8.11

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Teaching

Previous Teaching Areas

  • 101551 Understanding Society, 2019
  • 101598 Tourism in Society, 2012
  • 102174 Social Sciences International Placement, 2017

Publications

Books

  • Huppatz, K., Hawkins, M. and Matthews, A. (2016), 'Identity and Belonging', : Palgrave Macmillan 9781137334923.
  • Stevenson, D. and Matthews, A. (2013), 'Culture and the City: Creativity, Tourism, Leisure', : Routledge 9780415632904.

Chapters in Books

  • Teerakunpisut, S., Wen, J., Matthews, A. and Picken, F. (2023), 'Interactions between Muslim attendees and non-Muslim staff : a study of the Islamic MICE market in Thailand', Contemporary Muslim Travel Cultures: Practices, Complexities and Emerging Issues, Routledge 9780367477400.
  • Everingham, P., Matthews, A. and Young, T. (2022), 'Embodying liminality : exploring the 'affects' of sexual encounters in backpacker and volunteer tourism', Sex in Tourism: Exploring the Light and the Dark, Channel View Publications 9781845418595.
  • Matthews, A. (2018), 'Ethnographic approaches to tourism research', Qualitative Methods in Tourism Research: Theory and Practice, Channel View Publications 9781845416409.
  • Hawkins, M., Huppatz, K. and Matthews, A. (2016), 'Introduction', Identity and Belonging, Palgrave Macmillan 9781137334923.
  • Matthews, A. (2016), 'Leisure', Identity and Belonging, Palgrave Macmillan 9781137334923.
  • Matthews, A. (2016), 'Youth', Identity and Belonging, Palgrave Macmillan 9781137334923.
  • Matthews, A. (2014), 'Young backpackers and the rite of passage of travel : examining the transformative effects of liminality', Travel and Transformation, Ashgate 9781409467632.
  • Stevenson, D. and Matthews, A. (2013), 'Situating leisure in the cultural economy', Culture and the City: Creativity, Tourism and Leisure, Routledge 9780415632904.
  • Matthews, A. (2008), 'Backpacking as a Contemporary Rite of Passage: Victor Turner and Youth Travel Practices', Victor Turner and Contemporary Cultural Performance, Berghahn Books 9781845454623.
  • Matthews, A. (2008), 'Negotiated Selves: Exploring The Impact Of Local-Global Interactions On Young Volunteer Travelers', Journeys of Discovery in Volunteer Tourism: International Case Study Perspectives, CABI 9781845933807.

Journal Articles

  • Nelson, K. and Matthews, A. (2018), 'Foreign presents or foreign presence? : resident perceptions of Australian and Chinese tourists in Niseko, Japan', Tourist Studies, vol 18, no 2 , pp 213 - 231.
  • Seiver, B. and Matthews, A. (2016), 'Beyond whiteness : a comparative analysis of representations of Aboriginality in tourism destination images in New South Wales, Australia', Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol 24, no 8-9 , pp 1298 - 1314.
  • Matthews, A. (2012), ''Write' of passage : reflecting on the fieldwork process and its contribution to critically orientated tourism research', Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, vol 19 , pp 11 - 18.
  • Matthews, A. (2012), 'Journeys into authenticity and adventure : analysing media representations of backpacker travel in South America', Literature & Aesthetics, vol 22, no 1 , pp 60 - 87.
  • Stevenson, D. and Matthews, A. (2010), 'Culture, policy and the city', Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events, vol 2, no 3 , pp 197 - 198.
  • Matthews, A. (2009), 'Living paradoxically : understanding the discourse of authentic freedom as it emerges in the travel space', Tourism Analysis, vol 14, no 2 , pp 165 - 174.

Other Publications

  • 2013, 'The Child Safe Traveller: A Report Produced by Project Childhood Prevention Pillar', Report
  • 2012, 'Child Safe Tourism: The Tourist Perspective', Report

Amie's research interests include: youth tourism and backpacking; volunteer and socially responsible tourism; tourism impacts; tourist ethics; tourism and climate change; youth cultures; cosmopolitanism, mobilities and transnationalism.

This information has been contributed by Doctor Matthews.

Previous Projects

Title: Child Safe Tourism: measuring tourist perceptions and campaign effectiveness
Funder:
  • World Vision International
Western Researchers: Amie Matthews
Years: 2013-02-22 - 2013-08-31
ID: P00021410
Title: Child labour in Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Funder:
  • Ministry of Education and Training, Vietnam
Western Researchers: Paddy Rawlinson and Amie Matthews
Years: 2017-05-01 - 2020-04-30
ID: P00023911

Supervision

Doctor Matthews is available to be a principal supervisor for doctoral projects

Current Supervision

Thesis Title: Tourism and Cosmopolitanism: An Exploration of the Effects of International Tourism on the Community of Niseko, Japan
Field of Research:
Thesis Title: Aboriginal Tourism in the NSW Hunter Region: Moving Beyond Whiteness
Field of Research:

Previous Supervision

Thesis Title: An Examination of the Influence of Islam on Hospitality and Customer Service Standards in the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) Industry in Southern Thailand
Field of Research: Hospitality Management; Tourism; Tourism Management; Other Information Technology

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