Wanderlustis a strong desire to wander ortravelandexplorethe world. The term has its roots inGerman Romanticism.
Etymology
editThe first documented use of the term inEnglishoccurred in 1902[1]as a reflection of what was then seen as a characteristically German predilection for wandering that may be traced back toGerman Romanticismand theGermansystem ofapprenticeship(thejourneyman), as well as the custom of adolescent wanderings in search of unity with nature.[2]
The term originates from the German wordswandern('to hike') andLust('desire'), literally translated as 'enjoyment of hiking', although it is commonly described as 'enjoyment ofstrolling,roaming about, or wandering'.[3]
In recent years, the wordWanderlustis less commonly used in German, having been largely supplanted in the sense of 'desire to travel' byFernweh('a longing for far-away places'), coined as an antonym toHeimweh,'homesickness'.
Sociology
editRobert E. Parkin the early twentieth century saw wanderlust as in opposition to the values of status and organisation,[4][5][6]whilepostmodernismwould by contrast see it largely as playfully empowering.[7]
Inpost-EnlightenmentEurope, upper-class bachelors were encouraged to embark upon aBildungsreise(roughly, 'cultural education journey'), often sightseeing trips to Italy or France.
Among tourists, sociologists distinguish sunlust from wanderlust as motivating forces – the former primarily seeking relaxation, the latter engagement with different cultural experiences.[8]
Psychology
editWanderlust may reflect an intense urge for self-development by experiencing the unknown, confronting unforeseen challenges, getting to know unfamiliar cultures, ways of life and behaviours or may be driven by the desire to escape and leave behind depressive feelings of guilt, and has been linked tobipolar disorderin the periodicity of the attacks.[9]
In adolescence, dissatisfaction with the restrictions of home and locality may also fuel the desire to travel.[10]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^Etymology of wanderlustfromOnline Etymology Dictionary
- ^Erik H. Erikson,Childhood and Society(1973) p. 325
- ^"Definition of WANDERLUST".26 September 2023.
- ^Robert E. Park;Ernest W. Burgess(1925).The City,"Chapter IX – The Mind of theHobo:Reflections upon the Relation Between Mentality and Locomotion ". Heritage of Sociology Series, 1967, p. 158
- ^M. Trask,Cruising Modernism(2003) p. 3
- ^Piers Beirne.The Chicago School of Criminology 1914-1945: The gang,p. 170-171.
- ^A. Ganser,Roads of Her Own(2009) p. 34
- ^P. Robinson,Tourism(2002) p. 196
- ^Otto Fenichel,The Psychoanalytic Theory of Neurosis(1946) p. 369
- ^S. Freud,On Metapsychology(PFL 11) p. 455
Further reading
edit- Rebecca Solnit,Wanderlust: A History of Walking(2009)
- Wolfgang Schivelbusch,The Railway Journey(1980)
- S. D. Ezrahi,Booking Passage(2000)