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The evaluative language of dark tourism: Exploring visitors’ attitudinal meanings of holocaust memorials
Author(s)
Date Issued
2025
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Journal
ISSN
1368-3500
1747-7603
Citation
Current Issues in Tourism, 2025.
Type
Peer Reviewed Journal Article
Abstract
This study explores the use of evaluative language in online reviews of Holocaust memorial museums in China, focusing on the resistance against the Japanese invasion during World War II, as a significant aspect of dark tourism. From a linguistic perspective, we explore the attitudes expressed in these reviews using a systemic functional linguistics approach – specifically, an appraisal system focused on attitudinal meanings. Our analysis is based on 210,308 words from 1,530 online comments collected between 2012 and 2024 from reviews of five major war museums in China. We first identify 1,200 frequently used words and classified them into appraisal categories associated with museums and historical events. The results show a progression in visitors' responses from general to specific, from physical to spiritual, and from external to internal perspectives. Three dominant appraisal subcategories also emerged – negative affect (particularly related to unhappiness and insecurity), positive affect (related to inclination and happiness) and positive appreciation (primarily in terms of compositional balance) – along with recurring appraisal patterns. The study emphasizes the importance of memorial sites in promoting reflection and empathy for world peace. It provides valuable insights into museum management by examining attitudinal categories and understanding visitors' varied reactions to dark historical events.
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