Stories of Saviourism : Examining the Moral Negotiations in Volunteer Tourism

<p><strong>Volunteer tourism, or voluntourism, is a thriving form of humanitarian travel characterised by tourists paying to join organised service projects in countries considered as the ‘Global South’. With an estimated 10 million people participating annually in the Asia-Pacific region alone, voluntourism draws increasing scrutiny due to high-profile cases of harm to host communities, including child exploitation, and elevated discourse on the ‘White saviour complex’. These concerns have prompted ethical debates that distinguish voluntourism from conventional volunteering, such as the unique power dynamics and the benefits for the voluntourists. Despite this moral polarity, empirical psychological research regarding voluntourism remains limited, which underscores the need for this programme of research.</strong></p><p>Building on interdisciplinary research, my thesis investigates the morality of voluntourism using a psychological approach by employing a mixed-methods design. I specifically explore differences in moral justifications from three perspectives: (a) previous and prospective volunteer tourists; (b) laypeople who resemble voluntourists’ in-group; and (c) one voluntourism host community in Fiji. Across three studies, this thesis offers nuanced insights into why this phenomenon perpetuates despite ethical critiques and how groups negotiate their roles within these cooperative efforts. In the first study of my thesis, I elucidate relevant psychological factors that drive volunteer tourists by employing both quantitative and qualitative analyses. I conducted statistical analyses of an online survey sample of 259 previous voluntourists and those interested in future participation. A social network analysis revealed paradoxical relationships that emerged between psychological entitlement, components of empathy, attitudes of privilege and motivations to participate in volunteer tourism. Notably, entitlement was prominent among previous voluntourists and those highly motivated to engage in the future. Follow-up qualitative interviews with a subset of survey participants (N = 9) provided a more nuanced understanding, as participants’ dialogue evidenced self-oriented reasoning, reconciled feelings of guilt for their privilege, and internalised hierarchical beliefs. Some interviewees also expressed advanced comprehension of the colonial structures of voluntourism and navigated discussions of privilege with ease, but remained protective of their moral identity as participants. In my second study, I employed an experimental design to investigate the moral judgments of those who may typically engage in voluntourism, undergraduate students (N = 189) in Aotearoa, New Zealand. I manipulated a between-subjects factorial vignette; results indicated the complex interplay of mindsets, outcomes, and perceived cost in shaping moral judgments towards voluntourism dynamics and its participants. I was particularly interested to find that asset-based mindsets towards a host community appeared to excuse failed voluntourism projects that cause harm to the host community. This indicates the presence of both moral flexibility and conditional subscriptions to promoting autonomy. These findings diverge from traditional theoretical arguments about 'blame' because participants ascribed more praise to successes than blame for failures.</p><p>Finally, in the third study of this thesis, I immersed myself in fieldwork in an i-Tuakei (Indigenous) Fijian village experienced in hosting voluntourism for 4 weeks after a preliminary consultation visit. Through culturally relevant, collaborative methods, including talanoa and Indigenous frameworks, the study focused on villagers’ (N = 17) and stakeholders’ (N = 4) moral concerns and perspectives of voluntourism. In constructing themes using reflexive thematic analysis, the findings challenged prevailing ethical assumptions about voluntourism. Widespread acceptance of voluntourism was attributed to material benefits and exposure to new ideas. However, in the shared attempts of intergroup cooperation, the reciprocity appears unbalanced and ongoing power imbalances are prevalent. Participants expressed a desire for greater agency in shaping projects brought by outsiders and discussed cultural values that voluntourists should respect. Together, these studies weave a coherent story of how and why this morally polarising phenomenon persists. Theoretically, voluntourism misaligns with traditional moral-psychological frameworks and more closely resembles intergroup cooperation, albeit asymmetrical cooperation. Findings from the first study may suggest that voluntourism diverges from both the empathy-altruism hypothesis and interpretations of the White saviour complex. The second reveals unexpected forms of moral blame asymmetry, offering implications for the path model of blame in these unique dynamics. Finally, the third study proposes grounded recommendations based on first-hand hosting experiences for more equitable and sustainable voluntourism practices that could inform international policy. In the concluding discussion, I outline ongoing efforts to apply these insights and recommend that future psychological research could confirm the role of entitlement for voluntourists and the colonial mentalities of host communities. Implications from this body of research extend across various disciplines, but this thesis is the first scholarship to explore the moral psychology behind voluntourism.</p>