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Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2022 August 4

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August 4

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Role of travel guides and encyclopedia for travelers

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Greetings, Thanks to all for inputs to discussion on previous question Pre Wiki Encyclopedia audiences, few questions.

In the same sequence I wish to understand, whether and if yes then in what percentage of pre and post 21 century travelers (Leisure/ business/ administrative/ military/ educational) might have used / use encyclopedias or written tourist guides before visiting a new place for safety and well-being in a new place they would be visiting first time, specially overseas. And what percentage travelers simply depend on oral guidance by acquaintance and do not consult written material.

  • Are there any notable past / present travelers who consulted info in encyclopedia or written tourist guides specially in relation to safety and well being.

Bookku, 'Encyclopedias = expanding information & knowledge' (talk) 13:22, 4 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]

  • One very notable guidebook written expressly for the safety of travellers is the Green Book, a travel guide written expressly for African-American travellers so they would know how not to be brutally murdered as they tried to visit beautiful places in the U.S. with their families. --Jayron32 14:12, 4 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]
  • The publisher Ward Lock & Co. also published a range of tourist handbooks for British visitors to areas of the Continent, and also attractive areas of Britain – I suspect many other prominent British publishers did similarly, as no doubt did publishers in other countries.
I happen to possess Ward Lock's Handbook to Belgium, specially aimed at visitors to cities, towns, battlefields and cemetaries associated with the Western Front of WWI: so many British and Commomnwealth soldiers died there that such visits were a major sector of the travel industry between the two World Wars (and they still go on to this day). Despite it being (now) around 90 years out of date (it's the 9th edition, and undated as is the practice with many travel guides), and hence useless for matters like train fares, hotel locations and prices etc., I still found it a fascinating and instructive companion during several visits to Belgium in the 21st century.
With regard to your general question of usage, Bookku, I suggeat that you visit (assuming you can) a large general bookshop or two, and take note of the size of their Travel section. Usage of books – as opposed to online sources – is something that has doubtless been undergoing rapid evolution recently because of the relative newness and protean nature of The Internet, and statistically will be heavily dependent on the age of the users. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.195.175.46 (talk) 16:33, 4 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]
The key matter of his query however is not "Are guidebooks a thing", but rather "Are guidebooks with a focus on safety and well being a thing". I think the OP recognizes that travel guides existed in the age of dead tree literature. The two immediate posters above have both mentioned guidebooks, but these are general travel books with a mind on "Here's cool stuff to go do and see when visiting" and not "Hey, when you go visit places, here's how not to get killed by the locals". The Green Book was expressly written for that purpose. --Jayron32 18:15, 4 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]
An introductory sentence may also be deemed sufficient. "Rome contains not only magnificent monuments and priceless art treasures, but also Italians" (1936). Or rogues could have gotten hold of travel guides, shared them amongst themselves, and come with specific strategies based upon their advice. --Askedonty (talk) 19:02, 4 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]
The question whether any notable travellers consulted encyclopedias or tourist guides specially in relation to safety and well being appears to be more about the behaviour and motives of travellers in consulting such literature than about the content of encyclopedias or tourist guides per se.  --Lambiam 09:40, 5 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Inputs from all the users and certainly @ Jayron32 are certainly helpful
  • "Are guidebooks a thing", but rather "Are guidebooks with a focus on safety and well being a thing". This understanding is correct.
  • 'behaviour and motives of travellers in consulting such literature' is also correct.
Over all reader behavior and motive (academic) research writing is scarce and specially for encyclopedic literature. After quite a bit search I could get access to Chapter 9 'Readers and Users of Encyclopedias' in 'The European Encyclopedia ..' there also author Jeff Loveland has considered other motives but traveler curiosity out of safety concerns has not been considered. My personal guess is traveler going to unknown lands and their near dears may be checking on literature for safety concerns at least to some degree. But I can not validate my own guess/ inference without credible concurrence.
Thanks to all of you for valuable inputs. Regards Bookku, 'Encyclopedias = expanding information & knowledge' (talk) 05:28, 6 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]
While guidebooks dedicated solely to safety were and are probably less common (see, for example, the Green Book mentioned above), it's certainly not unusual for travel guidebooks to touch on relevant safety issues in one way or another: "Pickpockets are common around National Attraction X"; "Tap water is not safe to drink in Region Y"; "Roads are poorly lit and maintained, with narrow shoulders and steep dropoffs near Canyon Z"; "Watch for corrupt cops/civil unrest/military checkpoints/kidnapping in country W"; etc.
Randomly pulling my 2010 7th edition Lonely Planet Iceland guide off the shelf behind me, there are three pages on health issues (both general travel-related issues, and Iceland-specific concerns like frostbite) and how to get medical care, along with a section titled "Dangers and Annoyances". TenOfAllTrades(talk) 12:48, 5 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Is there any Term for phenomenon of retributive discipline (psychology and jurisprudence)

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This question is not related to previous questions by me.

In many cases I observe a phenomenon where in a person, otherwise , not serious in following any certain rule; once disciplined / policed by some one/ authority, not only starts following rule but also joins assertively disciplining others (Without necessarily understanding purpose and nitty-gritty of rules). Idk if that is kind of retributive disciplining. I wish to understand whether this phenomenon is studied and if any alternate term is in use in fields of psychology, sociology and jurisprudence.

Thanks

Bookku, 'Encyclopedias = expanding information & knowledge' (talk) 13:50, 4 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]

  • There is also the phenomenon of people with a desire to engage in deprecated behaviour X either refraining from X, or doing it in secret, while in public actively berating, legislating against, and/or persecuting others who openly, or are discovered to, engage in X. Leaving aside real world examples many of us will be able to think of, this was even a plot point in Terry Pratchett's novel The Fifth Elephant. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.195.175.46 (talk) 16:47, 4 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]
See also kick the cat and displaced aggression. Alansplodge (talk) 08:23, 5 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Although in the case of Kurt Zouma there was apparently no ulterior motive [1]. 2A00:23C5:C719:7201:D96A:3555:4022:9D37 (talk) 11:20, 5 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]
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