ABSTRACT
Second homes are a significant part of the identity of many countries and regions. However, they are also sometimes associated with tensions within and between communities. As the chapter discusses, the relationship of second home owners to the communities in which they are located is an important part of second home research. Culturally oriented research has been a significant component in second home studies, with economic research in the minority, yet it is clear that some regions value highly the economic contribution that second homes can bring and where tensions do exist, it is often a result of the effects of broader policy issues, such as housing. Nevertheless, there does appear to be an increasing emphasis on second homes as part of consumptive lifestyles, which although changing the nature of some elements of second homes also supports their desirability in the future.
