Who wins, who speaks? Exploring gendered views of social justice in tourism development

Author Identifier (ORCID)

S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7138-0280

Abstract

This study critically examines gendered perceptions of social justice in tourism development, focusing on the dimensions of recognition, procedural, and distributive justice. Drawing on survey data from residents in four neighborhoods near major tourist sites in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the research explores whether and how men and women differ in their evaluations and perceptions of fairness related to tourism development. In contrast to common assumptions in the literature, the findings show no statistically significant gender-based differences across the three dimensions. This outcome raises questions about how perceptions of justice are shaped and expressed. Gendered concerns may not always be reflected through measurable disagreement, particularly in settings where tourism is framed as a collective good or where dissent is constrained. The absence of visible difference in the data may reflect shared local circumstances, institutional silence, or the methodological limits of survey instruments. The chapter calls for greater attention to local context and to the ways gendered experiences of tourism may be expressed beyond standardized measures.

Keywords

Distributive justice, gender, procedural justice, recognition justice, social justice, tourism development

Document Type

Book Chapter

Date of Publication

1-1-2026

Publication Title

A Research Agenda for Just Tourism Futures

Publisher

Edward Elgar Publishing

School

School of Business and Law

RAS ID

94251

Comments

Rasoolimanesh, S. M., Rastegar, R., & Seyfi, S. (2026). Who wins, who speaks? Exploring gendered views of social justice in tourism development. In R. Rastegar & S. Seyfi (Eds.), A research agenda for just tourism futures (pp. 122–134). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035346172.00018

Copyright

subscription content

First Page

122

Last Page

134

Share

 
COinS
 

Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.4337/9781035346172.00018