Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

Elizabeth Wayne
Alma College
Voluntourism: A Discourse Analysis through Zambian Case Study
The development of the voluntourism industry has flourished, but there has been little theoretical
analysis of the implications of such an industry. This paper analyzes whether voluntourism is benefitting the
volunteer or the host communities through the lens of discourse analysis, as well as Allport’s Contact
Hypothesis and post-structuralism. It will discuss how the language of the volunteers and host community
members indicate the power relations voluntourism subtly endorses, what these power relations mean in
practice, and whether these relationships are to be promoted or discouraged. This will be done through
analyzing the operations of African Impact, a non-governmental organization in Livingstone, Zambia.
Findings were obtained through interviews with Zambian and foreign employees of African Impact,
community members, and volunteers. Six months after the trip, volunteers completed a questionnaire,
providing brief summaries of their perceptions and reactions since their time in Zambia. While participants
provide some valuable service to the host communities, it is evident in participant’s language that they are
not truly cognizant of the unequal power relation between themselves and the local residents. Such an
exposure is a key step in critical theory’s proposed path to human emancipation, and without it the
inequality between those with and those without power increases.
Voluntourism
The rapid growth of volunteer tourism, or “voluntourism,” signifies a new direction in the
evolution of tourism, as well as a change in the desires of the public. The new industry provides
volunteering opportunities for tourists, with a globally-minded clientele from developed-countries.
According to a study conducted by GeckoGo, Bradt Travel Guides, and Lasso Communications, the
voluntourism industry gained its momentum after the 2001 September 11 attacks on the US and the 2004
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