Abstract

The literature on sociology of tourism laments the peripheral status of tourism in the discipline of sociology, unlike in geography, economics, business, and anthropology. However, there is little empirical study of this peripheral status of tourism in Canadian sociology. This article explores this paradox by inquiring into the importance of tourism in Canadian society, the sociology course offerings in Canadian universities, Canadian introductory sociology textbooks, and scholarly tourism literature focusing on the application of sociological concepts and sociological theories to tourism. It argues that in order to be accurate, consistent, and inclusive, Canadian sociology needs to deconstruct its underrepresentation of sociology of tourism in its undergraduate curricula and introductory sociology textbooks. In turn, Canadian sociology could use this knowledge to reconstruct undergraduate sociology. Moreover, it could highlight tourism as core dimensions of social relationships, culture, structured inequality, and social institutions in Canadian society. This is because tourism is a major industry globally and in Canada and sociology is relevant and applicable to tourism studies.