#focused inquiry

As a person with an passion in conservation and a desire to utilize both my artistic skill and my love for nature and the creatures within it, I knew the moment we began discussing origin stories what story I wanted to discuss. As I have always been an artist, I knew I had to make some sort of graphic representation of this origin story. At first, I considered doing several still paintings or even an animation, but in the end I decided that the most efficient way to do this project was to turn it into a graphic comic chapter of sorts. It isn't quite a comic book, nor is it a graphic novel, but I consider it a "graphic novella." This, of course, is not a widely recognized term but I think it is an accurate description of what I have done.

The eight-page comic briefs the reader on the tale of my path toward Medical and Scientific Illustration, my intended major. I speak on my birthplace and the origins of my interest in animals through Disney, although other animation companies of course played a part in the development of my passion. I drifted across various childish projects, few keeping my attention for very long, until I discovered the internet and was hit with an influx of conservation propaganda. Specifically, I noticed reports on wolf decline in the US. These reports lit a flame and tore my heart in two. At such an early age, I could not act on my new-found passion. I could do little more at this stage than care for the animals around me. It was only years later, in high school, when I discovered that my path didn't lay in domestic animal veterinary practice. I had begun the Vet Science class with an idea of becoming a zoo Veterinarian, which may very well turn out to be a possible plan, but what struck a key most to me in that class was a project I did in which I learned that drawing skeletal anatomy was incredibly exciting, not to mention fun. I wasn't aware of many careers where this skillset applied, so I went asking around.

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

Atwine, Benjamin, Elizabeth Cantor-Graae, and Francis Bajunirwe. “Social Science & Medicine.” Social Science & Medicine. 61.3 (2005): 555-564. Web. 2 Dec. 2012. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953605000171>.

Chen, Li-Ju, and Chen, Joseph S. “The Motivations and Expectations of International Volunteer Tourists: A Case Study of ‘Chinese Village Traditions’.” Tourism Management. Volume 32. Issue 2 (2011): 435 – 442. Web. 17 Nov. 2012. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261517710000105>

Conran, Mary. “They Really Love Me!: Intimacy in Volunteer Tourism.” Annals of Tourism Research. Volume 38. Issue 4 (2011): 1454-1473. Web. 17 Nov. 2012. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738311000600>

Lo, Ada S., and Lee, Candy Y. S. “Motivations and Perceived Value of Volunteer Tourists from Hong Kong.” Tourism Management, Volume 32. Issue 2 (2011): 326-334. Web. 17 Nov. 2012. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026151771000049X>

Lyons, Kevin D., and Wearing, Stephen. Journeys of Discovery in Volunteer Tourism: International Case Study Perspectives. Wallingford, UK: CABI, 2008. Web. 17 Nov. 2012.

"Myth and Realities about orphanages in Cambodia."Friends International. Friends-International, Inc. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. <http://www.friends-international.org/resources/alternative-care/mythrealities_FINAL.pdf>.

Novelli, Marina. Niche Tourism: Contemporary Issues, Trends and Cases. Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2005. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. <http://books.google.com/books?id=X7knnn2iX5QC>.

Pan, Tze-Jen. “Motivations of Volunteers Overseas and What We Have Learned – The Experience of Taiwanese Students.” Tourism Management. Volume 33. Issue 6 (2012): 1493 – 1501. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261517712000350>

Ritcher, Linda, and . “Human Sciences Research Council Review.” Human Sciences Research Council Review. 8.2 (2010): n. page. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. <http://www.hsrc.ac.za/HSRC_Review_Article-195.phtml>.

Sin, Harng Luh. “Who Are We Responsible to? Locals’ Tales of Volunteer Tourism.” Geoforum. Volume 41. Issue 6 (2010): 983 – 992. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016718510001077>

For me, my first semester here at VCU has changed me into a far more independent person. Before coming to college, I’m almost embarrassed to say my parents did most of the work. I almost never did laundry, I never learned how to cook because my parents already did that for us, and I never bothered to think about money. I’ve never had a job, so it’s still my parent’s money I’m using to buy necessities, but I’m much more aware of what I purchase than I previously was (mostly because I could just ask my parents “can you buy me such and such?” and they normally would). So being away at college has given me the opportunity to become more independent. I think the most surprising part is that it wasn’t a difficult transition at all. I really enjoy living on my own away from my parents, so maybe that made the switch easier for me.

Like many other people, my high school English teachers always drilled into my mind never to use the “I” pronoun in any research paper ever. In fact, most of them discouraged using “you” or “we” or “they”, etc. etc. Point blank, personal pronouns are bad, and you’re wrong if you use them. In my mind, this caused a certain sort of distance between myself and whatever topic I was researching. It was hard to actually get invested in the topic because I felt as though I wasn’t allowed to incorporate my own opinion into it. So most of the research papers I wrote during my high school career, I found incredibly difficult to actually care about.

1.  Hook

Striking quote or fact

Striking description

Personal story/anecdote

2.  Summarize the body and sub-topics into a "preview"

3.  Main Claim

Our readings this week make us question just how much the decisions we make are actually influenced by outside sources. Personally I think the argument about all of our choices already having been decided for us is mostly just crazy talk. The thought that our future is already set in stone, there’s no way we’ll ever change it, and even if we think we’re changing something, that change was already decided for us? I don’t know, that just doesn’t make any legitimate sense to me. Not to mention, we’ll probably never be able to prove it anyways, so how will we ever know (granted, that also means we won’t be able to disprove it either. It’s mostly just a matter of opinion at this point. And, in my opinion, that’s just an excuse made up to get people out of bad situations.)