Abstract:ZiqianSong’sarticleTheArgumentbetweenPositivismandPhenomenologyinTourismResearch,publishedinTourismTribune(2013,Vol.28,18~24)examinestwoviewpoints.OneisfromBaojiaShenwho statesthat“tourismisaproductofthedevelopmentofthemarketeconomy”andtheotherisfromProf.YanjunXie whostatesthat“theessenceoftourismisexperience”.TheviewsofMr.ShenandProf.Xiedonotrepresent opposingschoolsofthought.Mr.ShenandProf.Xiehaveneitherexpresseddisagreementsnorobjectionstoward eachother,norhavetheyclaimedthattheirowntheoriesaretheonlycorrectones.Onthecontrary,theybothhave showedanattitudeofacademicgenerosityandopennessinapplyingdifferentmethodologiesduringtheirresearch andthisisclearlyseenintheirexpressedviews.TheArgumentbetweenPositivismandPhenomenologyinTourism Researchdraws1conclusionsfromMr.Shen’sandProf.Xie’spropositionsbecauseitfailstoconsiderthat differenttypesofacademictopicscallfordifferentresearchmethods.Mr.ShenandProf.Xieinvestigatedifferent aspectsoftourismandhencehaveuseddifferentapproaches;theirviewshavealsoevolvedfromdifferenthistorical backgrounds.BothMr.ShenandProf.Xiehighlighttheimportanceofapplyingdifferentresearchmethodsin tourismstudies.Prof.Xiehascomprehensivelyanalyzeddifferentapproachestoavarietyofresearchquestions.He groupedquestionsintofourcategories,thatis,what;why;how;andwhattodo.Basedonthesecategoriesboth empiricalandphenomenologicalapproachescanbechosen.WebelievethattheconclusionsdrawnbyZiqianSong inTheArgumentbetweenPositivismandPhenomenologyinTourismResearcharescientificallyflawed.Ifthese incorrectconclusionsarenotclarified,theywillleadtounnecessaryandeven1debatesintourismacademiaand thiswillmisleadthedirectionofacademicresearch.TheanalysisofphenomenologicalmethodologyinSong’s articleexposesseveraldefectsintheuseofsomebasicconceptsandtheunderstandingofphenomenology’s academicstatus.Thebluntdivisionoftheuseofqualitativevsquantitativemethodologiesinphenomenologystudies andthesuperficialinterpretationinSong’sarticleshouldbecorrected.Theuseofthenotionof“technical rationality”inSong’sarticleshouldalsobeamended.Shenequatestechnicalrationalitytoinstrumentalrationality. Althoughthesetermsarecloselyrelatedtheyarenotinterchangeable.Furthermore,therearesomeotherspecific questionsraisedinSong’sarticletowardMr.Shen’sandProf.Xie’sresearchthatrequireclarification.Song questionswhetherthetourofpoetsandaristocratsintheTangandSongDynastyshouldbecountedastourism.This questionhasalreadybeenaddressedinMr.Shen’sbook.Tourismresearchisinarelativelyearlystageof developmentinChina,andhenceitisofutmostimportancethatwesetdowngoodprotocols.Thedevelopmentof basictheoriesandmethodologiesmustbeconductedwithanobjectiveandstrictattitudeaswellaswiththeright scientificspirit,sothatfurtherresearchinthisareaisfruitful.Ourarticleattemptstoclarifythecorepropositions intheworksofMr.ShenandProf.Xie.WealsoaimtorectifytheinappropriatestatementsinTheArgument betweenPositivismandPhenomenologyinTourismResearch,andweproposeseveralopinions,whichare,of course,opentodiscussion.
Keywords:tourism;researchmethodology;positivism;phenomenology;technicalrationality