ABSTRACT

This article critically examines the portrayal of sport for development (SfD) international volunteering by UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Volunteer tourism or ‘voluntourism’ is a popular experience in which individuals combine international travel with voluntary work in a destination typically in the Global South in a bid to offer support to those in need. A body of literature offers an optimistic view of volunteer tourism, suggesting that it can facilitate the development of cross-cultural understanding among volunteers and host communities. However, there is also critical literature which argues that if volunteer tourism programmes are not carefully developed and managed, they can lead to cross-cultural misunderstanding and reinforce negative cultural stereotypes; this latter critique provides both the justification and context for this article. Several studies have acknowledged the centrality of Global Northern volunteers to the delivery of sport-based programmes in the Global South under the banner of SfD [Darnell (2007). Playing with race: Right to play and the production of whiteness in ‘development through sport’. Sport in Society, 10(4), 560–579; Darnell (2011). Identity and learning in international volunteerism: ‘Sport for development and peace’ internships. Development in Practice, 21(7), 974–986; Lucas & Jeanes (2019). Ethnographic reflections of the role of global north volunteers in sport-for-development. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 55(7), 953–974]. However, given the pivotal role that UK HEIs play in marketing and facilitating such opportunities for students, there is a lack of research that critically examines how such volunteer opportunities are portrayed by HEIs. The article draws from a sample of thirteen UK HEIs to examine how they discursively frame SfD international volunteer opportunities. The findings illustrate how student volunteers benefit and even socially transform because of volunteering in poor Global South communities. The article concludes by outlining a series of recommendations for UK HEIs to consider regarding their portrayal of international SfD volunteering.

摘要

本文批判性地考察了英国高等教育机构 (HEI) 对体育促进发展 (SfD) 国际志愿服务的描述。志愿旅游或“志愿旅游”是一种流行的体验，在这种体验中，个人将国际旅行与在通常位于全球南方的目的地的志愿工作相结合，以便为有需要的人提供支持。大量文献对志愿者旅游持乐观态度，表明它可以促进志愿者和东道社区之间跨文化理解的发展。然而，也有批评文献认为，如果志愿者旅游项目没有得到认真的开发和管理，它们可能会导致跨文化误解并强化负面的文化刻板印象；后一种批评为本文提供了理由和背景。一些研究已经承认全球北方​​志愿者在 SfD 的旗帜下在全球南方提供基于体育的项目的中心地位 [Darnell (2007 年）。与种族一起玩耍：“通过运动发展”中的玩耍权和白人的产生。社会体育，10 (4), 560–579；达内尔 (2011)。国际志愿服务中的身份和学习：“体育促进发展与和平”实习。实践中的发展，21（7），974-986；卢卡斯和珍妮丝 ( 2019 )。全球北方志愿者在体育促进发展中的作用的民族志反思。国际体育社会学评论，55(7), 953–974]。然而，鉴于英国高等教育机构在营销和为学生提供此类机会方面发挥的关键作用，缺乏对高等教育机构如何描绘此类志愿者机会进行批判性研究的研究。这篇文章从 13 所英国高校的样本中抽取，以研究它们如何以话语方式构建 SfD 国际志愿者机会。调查结果说明了学生志愿者如何因在贫困的全球南方社区中的志愿服务而受益甚至社会变革。文章最后概述了一系列建议，供英国高等教育机构考虑他们对国际 SfD 志愿服务的描述。