Quarter Century of Social Exchange Theory in Tourism Researches

Abstract

Theories summarize and regulate the knowledge about social behavior and conceptual frameworks thus, theories are indicative of scientific legitimacy for tourism studies. The current study focuses on the importance of theoretical awareness in tourism research. In this regard it is emphasized by means of the Social Exchange Theory that theories are phenomena which could change and transform in time. Therefore, in the current study, it is aimed to reveal the course of the Social Exchange Theory, which is widely used, supported and also criticized in context of tourism in the last quarter century. To that end, 137 articles which were published in Annals of Tourism Research, Tourism Management and Journal of Travel Research, were examined through bibliometric analysis and content analysis. According to the findings, the usage of Social Exchange Theory has increased significantly in the last five years. Meanwhile, the current theory constituted the theoretical base solitarily in the earlier tourism studies. However, it was supported by other theories so as to complete the missing or weak aspects in scientific explanation by the time of progress.