Before you get started, budget about 25-30 minutes for this section. There's a TED talk at the end!
Understanding Consumerism
Consumerism is more than the buying of physical objects: it extends to the buying of experiences. This is where international education finds a market. According to Linda Tuhiwai Smith, a scholar on indigenous research: “The danger is that consumption masks economic and political inequalities and numbs people into believing that they are autonomous ‘choosers’ in a culturally neutral marketplace” (Smith, 1999, p. 103).
The operative phrase here of course is "culturally neutral marketplace." When we're at home, choosing a swimsuit in Target, the marketplace does seem quite 'culturally neutral' as it is embedded within our own culture. But while studying abroad, the marketplace changes completely. Now we - the consumers - are the cultural abnormalities! The instinct emerges to consume as much culture as possible - partly as a method for assimilation and as a gateway to "experience" and partly because we aren't sure what else to do. Consumer activities while studying abroad include things like eating at a restaurant, buying local handicrafts, buying 'tourist' experiences such as a camel ride or a picture with a tango dancer.
While consumption in and of itself may not be harmful, it is consumerism - the pursuit of happiness through hyperconsumption - that can be problematic. Consumption relegates the local person to a transactional role (checking you out at the supermarket, serving you at dinner, performing at a cultural show), and consumerism creates a lifestyle that does this systematically. There is no authentic interaction, no cross-cultural exchange -- simply a monetary transaction. Look at the list of Study Abroad Privileges on the previous page to see how many involve monetary exchange.
We'll discuss more about how to eliminate consumerist tendencies from your time abroad, but first let's get into the trouble with to-do list tourism.
The operative phrase here of course is "culturally neutral marketplace." When we're at home, choosing a swimsuit in Target, the marketplace does seem quite 'culturally neutral' as it is embedded within our own culture. But while studying abroad, the marketplace changes completely. Now we - the consumers - are the cultural abnormalities! The instinct emerges to consume as much culture as possible - partly as a method for assimilation and as a gateway to "experience" and partly because we aren't sure what else to do. Consumer activities while studying abroad include things like eating at a restaurant, buying local handicrafts, buying 'tourist' experiences such as a camel ride or a picture with a tango dancer.
While consumption in and of itself may not be harmful, it is consumerism - the pursuit of happiness through hyperconsumption - that can be problematic. Consumption relegates the local person to a transactional role (checking you out at the supermarket, serving you at dinner, performing at a cultural show), and consumerism creates a lifestyle that does this systematically. There is no authentic interaction, no cross-cultural exchange -- simply a monetary transaction. Look at the list of Study Abroad Privileges on the previous page to see how many involve monetary exchange.
We'll discuss more about how to eliminate consumerist tendencies from your time abroad, but first let's get into the trouble with to-do list tourism.
Tourism & Study Abroad
Students abroad usually consider themselves "something more" than tourists. Being mistaken for a local is a proud moment. Lots of time and money (on the part of the program and the individual) goes into having a so-called "authentic" experience.
However, even if you perceive yourself to be something more than a rambling tourist, the local population may not differentiate between one foreigner and another. At the end of the day, a hard realization may hit: no matter how hard we try, foreigners always will experience a place differently than locals.
This is connected to the notion of "Study Abroad Privilege." Much of the time, students abroad are able to float within structures with fluid access in a way that a local never would be able to. Remember Robert Selby's quote? He said, “The Mexico I knew existed on in the imagination of a foreigner, an outsider left on his own to observe and interpret an apparently convivial Mexico without ever sensing its rigid social norms that isolated class from class, family from family, coworker from colleague."
Since foreigners fundamentally experience a place differently than locals, an interesting dynamic emerges. The idea of the "Tourist Gaze" was first put forth by John Urry, a tourism sociologist. In his explanation, he describes the Tourist Gaze as a manifestation of the way that foreigners perceive their experience abroad and locals perceive the foreigners in return. Because of the power dynamic between tourists and locals, the tourists' needs (such as a desire for the extraordinary or the authentic) are prioritized. The tourists' unmediated drive for the extraordinary creates an alternative reality in which locals perform what tourists expect in order to make a living. This means that tourists only understand the locality they visit in relation to how well it meets their expectations and leisure needs. The problem with the Tourist Gaze is that it doesn't leave room for empathy or dialogue.
However, even if you perceive yourself to be something more than a rambling tourist, the local population may not differentiate between one foreigner and another. At the end of the day, a hard realization may hit: no matter how hard we try, foreigners always will experience a place differently than locals.
This is connected to the notion of "Study Abroad Privilege." Much of the time, students abroad are able to float within structures with fluid access in a way that a local never would be able to. Remember Robert Selby's quote? He said, “The Mexico I knew existed on in the imagination of a foreigner, an outsider left on his own to observe and interpret an apparently convivial Mexico without ever sensing its rigid social norms that isolated class from class, family from family, coworker from colleague."
Since foreigners fundamentally experience a place differently than locals, an interesting dynamic emerges. The idea of the "Tourist Gaze" was first put forth by John Urry, a tourism sociologist. In his explanation, he describes the Tourist Gaze as a manifestation of the way that foreigners perceive their experience abroad and locals perceive the foreigners in return. Because of the power dynamic between tourists and locals, the tourists' needs (such as a desire for the extraordinary or the authentic) are prioritized. The tourists' unmediated drive for the extraordinary creates an alternative reality in which locals perform what tourists expect in order to make a living. This means that tourists only understand the locality they visit in relation to how well it meets their expectations and leisure needs. The problem with the Tourist Gaze is that it doesn't leave room for empathy or dialogue.
Tourist Gaze in Print
Source: Huffington Post 6/25/2012
The ad on the right was designed for a travel agency called Multipass by a Tabasco, a Ukrainian ad agency. In both practical and theoretical ways the Tourist Gaze is present in this advertisement. Not only are tourists encouraged to be "more than" tourists and see the "authentic" Asia, the joke is that in order to do so they have to "screw up" their eyes.
The Tourist Gaze at its worst comes with other elements attached -- in this case racism and prejudice.
The Tourist Gaze at its worst comes with other elements attached -- in this case racism and prejudice.
Take a breather...
Check out the images on the right. How does the gaze of the photographer influence the image? I don’t know the story behind this first pair, but they are in chronological order and are from a collection of images from workshop. This is the classic happy story/sad story image used in humanitarian fundraising. Which face would you rather give money to?
This second set features a photo taken by an outsider (me) and a photo taken by a local youth. Can you tell which is which? They were taken within a minute of each other. To me, the differing attitudes of the children to the camera and photographer behind it is remarkable.
This final pair are two images taken by two local photographers simultaneously. If you can’t tell, in the second photo the girl on the right is smiling at her counterpart. One image evokes a feeling of hopelessness and the other quite the opposite. Also, the role of the waste around them is minimized in the second photo. Which image is better for a story on waste management? A story on the importance of affective relationships?
The Tourist Gaze is most obvious in photography, which is essentially the physical action of memorializing the subject of the gaze. People will wait until elements that don't fit into their photographic ideal - such as a fancy car in an Indian slum or a street-dwelling family in a fancy neighborhood - pass through the frame before snapping their photo. In this way, they construct their own story of the place where they are staying. Instead of it being a narrative that correlates to the experience of a local or even a neutral, objective perspective, it becomes a narrative of the foreign gaze upon the locality.
This second set features a photo taken by an outsider (me) and a photo taken by a local youth. Can you tell which is which? They were taken within a minute of each other. To me, the differing attitudes of the children to the camera and photographer behind it is remarkable.
This final pair are two images taken by two local photographers simultaneously. If you can’t tell, in the second photo the girl on the right is smiling at her counterpart. One image evokes a feeling of hopelessness and the other quite the opposite. Also, the role of the waste around them is minimized in the second photo. Which image is better for a story on waste management? A story on the importance of affective relationships?
The Tourist Gaze is most obvious in photography, which is essentially the physical action of memorializing the subject of the gaze. People will wait until elements that don't fit into their photographic ideal - such as a fancy car in an Indian slum or a street-dwelling family in a fancy neighborhood - pass through the frame before snapping their photo. In this way, they construct their own story of the place where they are staying. Instead of it being a narrative that correlates to the experience of a local or even a neutral, objective perspective, it becomes a narrative of the foreign gaze upon the locality.
- Answer the questions for each set of images and add your own critical comparison.
- Looking through your Facebook profile pictures or other images of your study abroad, select one where you think the tourist gaze is visibly present. Provide an analysis of the image as the photographer. Then, analyze the photo from the point of view of a fellow American who hasn't traveled to the country you are in (how about Grandma?). Last, analyze the photo from the point of view of a local person who walks by the locality every day. What three narratives are told and how similar/different are they?
- What themes do you notice in the images from the College of Wooster Off-Campus Studies Photo Contest? Does any photo stick out? Click here.
The Role of Generosity
In his book The Value of Nothing (2010), Raj Patel says: “The opposite of consumption isn’t thrift—it is generosity” (29). Thrift, while limiting material expenditure, still measures success in terms of consumption. Generosity, on the other hand, relies on reciprocity. Reciprocity and mutuality are key in intercultural relationships, as they will flip the inequalities in power and mismatches in lived experience that often cause intercultural contact to fail.
Scholars have suggested that study abroad programs should measure their impact not in terms of quantity of students enrolled, number of programs, or international breadth, but instead in terms of providing the “right” services to the “right” students in the “right” places. Determining the “right” who, what, and how is challenging (ask a Buddhist). I have an inkling that Raj Patel would also agree: “The real value of something is not its ability to satisfy a craving, a desire, a vanity, but to meet the need for well-being” (p. 174). Study abroad may create new needs and cravings, especially as coping mechanisms. However, countering consumerism with generosity will not only fuel your well-being but also meet the well-being of others.
Scholars have suggested that study abroad programs should measure their impact not in terms of quantity of students enrolled, number of programs, or international breadth, but instead in terms of providing the “right” services to the “right” students in the “right” places. Determining the “right” who, what, and how is challenging (ask a Buddhist). I have an inkling that Raj Patel would also agree: “The real value of something is not its ability to satisfy a craving, a desire, a vanity, but to meet the need for well-being” (p. 174). Study abroad may create new needs and cravings, especially as coping mechanisms. However, countering consumerism with generosity will not only fuel your well-being but also meet the well-being of others.
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The TED talk on the left, Designing for Generosity by Nipun Mehta, offers a brilliant analysis of how generosity can be implemented on a systemic level. The principles he offers include the following transitions.
1. From consumption to contribution
2. From transaction to trust 3. From isolation to community 4. From scarcity to abundance. In the following reflection activities, there will be ample opportunity to think about how these four processes can be integrated into your time abroad.
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