Cosmopolitan Hagglers or Haggling Locals?

This study reveals that the categories of 'cosmopolitan' and 'local' are context-dependent, socially constructed labels rather than fixed identities. Through ethnographic research in Tunis's medina, it shows how salesmen in the tourist trade portray themselves as culturally adept cosmopolitans while viewing tourists as ignorant outsiders, whereas tourists perceive the salesmen as culturally bound locals. The findings challenge the notion that cosmopolitanism is universally progressive or free from cultural constraints, demonstrating instead that it is an ideological construct tied to specific contexts. This challenges traditional oppositions like modernity vs. tradition, suggesting that any group can be positioned as 'local' under the right circumstances.

HAWKINS, S. (2010). Cosmopolitan Hagglers or Haggling Locals? City & Society, 22(1), 1–24. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1548-744x.2009.01027.x