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Exploring an Absent Presence: Wayfinding as an Embodied Sociocultural Experience

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  • Paul Symonds
  • David H.K. Brown
  • Valeria Lo Iacono

Abstract

Wayfinding has often been seen as being about the quickest or shortest possible route between two points (Hölscher et al 2011; Tam 2011 ; Haque et al 2006). Moreover, this process has very often been seen as a cognitive one, with the experiential nature of wayfinding and with the embodied, emotional and sociocultural aspects of this experience conspicuously absent. We argue that wayfinding is rarely a purely cognitive process that involves an individual person, who is entirely instrumental in navigating a direct and precise route, but instead that this is a process almost always directed according to embodied and sociocultural needs. We propose a reassessment of present wayfinding definitions and suggest an alternative understanding that includes sociocultural elements, embodied individuals and experience through their embodied senses, as crucial elements of the concept. Seeing wayfinding from this different sociocultural ontological viewpoint, opens up new ways of understanding and planning wayfinding systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Symonds & David H.K. Brown & Valeria Lo Iacono, 2017. "Exploring an Absent Presence: Wayfinding as an Embodied Sociocultural Experience," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 22(1), pages 48-67, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socres:v:22:y:2017:i:1:p:48-67
    DOI: 10.5153/sro.4185
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chebat, Jean-Charles & Gelinas-Chebat, Claire & Therrien, Karina, 2005. "Lost in a mall, the effects of gender, familiarity with the shopping mall and the shopping values on shoppers' wayfinding processes," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 58(11), pages 1590-1598, November.
    2. Tam, Mei Ling, 2011. "An optimization model for wayfinding problems in terminal building," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 74-79.
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    4. Small, Jennie & Darcy, Simon & Packer, Tanya, 2012. "The embodied tourist experiences of people with vision impairment: Management implications beyond the visual gaze," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 941-950.
    5. Churchill, Anthony & Dada, Ezekiel & de Barros, Alexandre G. & Wirasinghe, S.C., 2008. "Quantifying and validating measures of airport terminal wayfinding," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 151-158.
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    1. Ammar Al-Sharaa & Mastura Adam & Amer Siddiq Amer Nordin & Riyadh Mundher & Ameer Alhasan, 2022. "Assessment of Wayfinding Performance in Complex Healthcare Facilities: A Conceptual Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-20, December.

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