Caitlin's Unit 3 Essay
The Ethics of Volunteer Tourism
Volunteer tourism, also known as philanthropic tourism and “voluntourism”, rapidly expands with the increase of students taking gap years and their financial reliance on their parents (Novelli). This relatively new industry attracts young adults to participate in short-term volunteer work related to social issues or ecological conservation (Lo and Lee) while they travel abroad. Volunteer tourists usually pay a fee to participate in such programs, as most volunteer tourism work is associated with non-governmental organizations (Conran). Volunteer tourism programs harm local communities by enforcing stereotypes, creating structural imbalances, and intensifying psychosocial trauma associated with poverty because they over emphasize the experience of the volunteer and put communities at risk due to poor regulation.
I chose to research the ethics of volunteer tourism because the industry specifically targets well-intending (Conran) college students and students taking gap years. As a student at Virginia Commonwealth University, I see advertisements for these programs in every academic building. Representatives looking for new volunteers have even spoken in two of my classes this semester, promising class credit and a unique experience. Although college students often hope to make a difference in the world, we inevitably remain ignorant and inexperienced; we are particularly vulnerable to tricking ourselves into participating in a damaging volunteer tourism program.
During the 1980’s, administrators in institutions of higher education faced an increasing self-centered conservatism of their students. In an attempt to expose them to the reality of the less fortunate population, service learning programs exploded. These programs offer academic credit and emphasize the personal development. Little research has been conducted to assess the experience of the local communities that service learning students work with; literature focusing on the community’s experience in service learning programs is scarce. Students perform community service based on the requirements of their program rather than because of altruistic desires (Stoecker and Tryon, 22). Due to the student-oriented nature of service learning, the impact on the local community can be easily overlooked.
From the service learning programs of the 1980’s and the adventure tourism industry of the 1990’s, volunteer tourism developed as an alternative form of tourism in the 1990’s and 2000’s (Novelli). Volunteer tourism, like service learning, focuses almost entirely on the personal outcome of the volunteer tourist. Emphasis is placed on their desires of the volunteers, without first analyzing the effect it may have on the local communities. This experience is commercialized and aimed at “guilt-ridden” consumers.
Volunteer tourism organizations can be governmental or non-governmental. Because of the international nature of volunteer tourism, there are no specific standards or regulations for volunteer tourism programs. The relationship between locals and the volunteer tourists goes relatively unquestioned (Conran). Due to the short term nature of volunteer tourism placements, volunteer tourism organizations often choose not to provide in depth training for volunteer tourism to avoid the associated costs (Stoecker and Tryon, 59).
Organizations give volunteer tourists short term placements in which they focus on “care” and “responsibility” (Sin). Many volunteer tourists hope for intimacy with the local community during their trips, which can lead to structural inequality among adults (Conran) and psychological stress on children in orphanages ("Myth and Realities about orphanages in Cambodia"); the short amount of time volunteer tourists spend abroad limits their ability to create meaningful relationships. Lack of regulatory oversight allows tourists to have unregulated and inappropriate interactions with communities in need. Volunteers sometimes feel inclined to give away “handouts”; they fail to recognize their reinforcement of stereotypes and their unequal social balance (Lyons and Wearing, 19).
Volunteer tourists vary in age and different generations have different motives. Volunteer tourism remains popular among westerners, but the industry has spread to include non-westerners (Pan). Young adults tend to participate in volunteer tourism most frequently compared to older adults because they are seeking out experience for their resumes (Chen and Chen) and they are often supported by their parents. Older adults generally choose volunteer tourism opportunities that relate to a cause they strongly identify with (Lo and Lee). Religion, desire to spread ideas, altruism, and the desire for an authentic cultural experience drive volunteer tourists of all ages (Conran).
Following the Cambodian Civil War and the Cambodian-Vietnamese War, many children were orphaned in Cambodia. This attracted help from foreigners, whose intensions vary. As mentioned earlier, only twenty six per cent of the children in Cambodian orphanages are actually orphaned. The government currently runs twenty one orphanages, while private organizations run two hundred and thirty seven orphanages. Between 2005 and 2008, the amount of private orphanages increased by sixty five per cent, largely due to the interest in volunteer work from western tourists. Traditionally, Asian cultures place a strong emphasis on family and community. Rather than institutionalizing orphaned children, Cambodian culture would suggest for children to be cared for by community members or other living relatives. These orphanages recruit children, offering food and a place to stay; however, this puts vulnerable children at an even greater risk. These tourism-driven orphanages do not properly protect the children they serve. Although people must go through training and background checks to work with children in the United States, many private orphanages do not require this of their volunteer tourists. In addition, volunteer tourists are often left alone with children without supervision. After reaching the age of eighteen, many of the children fear leaving the orphanage because they do not feel prepared for life on their own; in 2008, two thousand adults were still living in Cambodian orphanages after reaching age eighteen ("Myth and Realities about orphanages in Cambodia”).
The tourism reflects the global perception that Sub-Saharan Africa is currently experiencing an HIV/AIDS crisis (Richter). Children who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS have higher levels of distress than their peers, making them an extremely vulnerable population (Atwine, Cantor-Graae, and Bajunirwe). Many of the local orphanages fail to legally register with welfare agencies; therefore, they experience a high staff turnover rate. These organizations appear to meet the needs of the volunteers before those of the communities they serve. Although Sub-Saharan Africa has a high unemployment rate and a multitude of youths seeking work experience, orphanages continue to seek out affluent volunteers instead. Similar to profit-seeking orphanages in Cambodia, many children in Sub-Saharan orphanages have been taken from their desperately poor families. Due to the high turnover rate of staff and the short terms of volunteers, children in such institutions struggle with unstable attachments and frequent losses. This leads to increased psychological and social issues, an excessive desire for attention, feelings of vulnerability, and “indiscriminate friendliness.” Oblivious volunteers misunderstand children’s friendliness as a sign that they have positively impacted their lives; however, aimless friendliness of institutionalized children represents the harm caused to them by their lack of healthy, stable relationships with adult caregivers (Richter).
Unethical volunteer tourism could be easily prevented, as most volunteers participate with good intentions. Increased academic research into the effects of the industry on local communities and increased education among college campuses would severely impact volunteer tourism, forcing organizations to adopt ethical policies. Colleges need to review their service learning programs more critically. An organization could be established to create guidelines for reputable programs to follow, such as required background checks or government licensing. When faced with data and statistics, people would be more likely to exercise discretion when choosing a volunteer tourism program.
The industry needs must expand in a way that accommodates diversity—both of communities in need and participants. Many service learning organizations already express this need (Stoecker and Tryon, 120). The volunteer tourism industry suffers from a severe bias towards the tourists over the local community due to its historical focus. In order to provide effective help to communities in need, people must be decommodified and organizations must stop charging large participation fees. Once participation fees are dropped, a more diverse group of people will choose to volunteer. Although some organizations may have to drop volunteers to effectively serve local communities, many others would be able to reform and exist without increasing the trauma of poverty, creating structural imbalances, or putting communities at risk.
Works Cited
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