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Research and writing leading to a book on women’s role in the development of the Caribbean tourism industry during the 20th century.

I am applying for a 12-month award (full funding for summer 2020 and spring 2021 and three-fourths funding for fall 2020) to complete the final three chapters of a proposed book entitled Imagining the Tropics: Women, the Professionalization of Caribbean Tourism, and the Conjuring of Island Fantasy 1890 – 1980. The book addresses women’s roles in Caribbean tourism development across the twentieth century. The award will facilitate the second stage of the project, including completion of research (3 months) and writing (9 months). While often neglected in the historical narrative, my research reveals that women were crucial to the development of Caribbean tourism. Imagining the Tropics complicates a history that views modern tourism as a predominantly male-constructed fantasy, clarifies the mechanisms that built Caribbean visions of tropical escape, and frames a regional approach that highlights the incredible impact of women – Caribbean and otherwise – on this ever-expanding industry.