There is a close connection between colonial thinking and power relations. The binary system that portrays volunteers as active givers and local communities as passive receivers embeds inequality from the outset.
Power relations shape how different parties interact. They secure the superiority of one group over another by reproducing inequality. In the context of voluntourism, many volunteers define their role through the visible poverty of host communities. As a result, an equal relationship is rarely possible. More troubling, some volunteers are not seeking equality at all — they want to feel needed, even heroic.
“Tourism is not simply a neutral exercise involving someone taking a break but must
instead be understood in terms of a power relationship, particularly when this tourism
involves a privileged, ‘first world’ tourist visiting and volunteering in a developing country.
As a major report on volunteer tourism notes volunteers are mostly travelling from the
global North to work on projects in the global South; a fact that highlights the unequal nature
of host-volunteer interactions.”— Lyons et al. (2008), “GAP YEAR VOLUNTEER TOURISM – Myths of Global Citizenship?”, Annals of Tourism Research 39(1): 371.
The perceived superiority of Western volunteers can undermine local staff and institutions. Many volunteers have just finished school and lack the qualifications, training, and cultural understanding required for specialised roles. Nevertheless, commercial providers often place anyone who pays into projects. The consequence is predictable: volunteers may see themselves as more valuable than local professionals, and in some cases even displace local expertise.
Voluntourism can therefore create new power asymmetries in which volunteers do not meet communities at eye level. The problem grows when volunteers are unfamiliar with local customs and histories. Instead of reducing inequality, such placements can reinforce negative stereotypes and simplistic narratives about the “Global South.”
“The apparent paradox though, is the possibility that despite the desire to perform ‘selves’
that are sensitive and matured world-travelers, volunteer tourists could instead end up
reinforcing negative stereotypes or misunderstand what their own positions of privilege entails.”— Sin (2009), “VOLUNTEER TOURISM – ‘INVOLVE ME AND I WILL LEARN’?”, Annals of Tourism Research 36(3): 495.
The danger is greatest when young and inexperienced volunteers are unaware of these dynamics. Many focus on enhancing their CVs or seeking adventure, while the structural impact on host communities remains an afterthought. Responsible volunteering starts by recognising and correcting these unequal power relations.
Go back to the main page: The Danger of Voluntourism,
or see our List of Literature and Articles.