What Is The Importance Of Volunteering And Diversity In Research

The impact of Othering and Liminitality in volunteerism projects in Indonesia

1. Introduction
1.1. Problem statement and theory
1.2. Research case and question
1.3. Positioning and methodology
1.4. Thesis structure
2. Stereotypes of the East and West and commodifying the Other
2.1. Stereotypes in speech and practise
2.2. ‘Bule’ sells
2.3. Also Asian, but still different
3. The value of Otherness
3.1. The meaning of Whiteness
3.2. Western vs Asian
3.3. Connotations of the Other
4. A genuine connection
4.1. True motivations of participation
4.2. The desire to help
4.3. A surprising connection
5. Conclusion
Afterword
References
Attachments

“You know, I think the people here are just generally more dumb. Not to be racist or anything, but

The reality that volunteerism projects confirm existing stereotypes about the East and the West, in which the East is often thought of as less developed than the West. Nevertheless, these stereotypes are even used to promote volunteerism projects. For example, images of the Third World Other, in which they are portrayed as being in need of help, are used to promote volunteerism for young western people who are willing to help (Simpson, 2004). Over the past few years there has been an increase in the amount of young people going abroad to participate in volunteering projects, since this is seen as both having a positive impact on the personal development of volunteers and on the local people (Jones, 2000). Like Mostafanezhad (2016) says; volunteering is considered as the “appropriate response to uneven development and economic inequality” in the world (2016:142). A lot of research also states the positive effects of volunteerism. Lough, McBride, Sherraden and O’Hara (2011), for example, consider international volunteering as a means to enable cultural exchange which in turn promotes intercultural understanding. The volunteers also benefit from participating in volunteerism projects abroad through personal development, which includes increased chances in the labour market, and the experience of a unique travelling opportunity, according to Lyons and

According to studies like the ones from Simpson (2004), Perold, Graham, Mazembo Mavungu, Cronin, Muchemwa and Lough (2012) and Mishra and Hodge (1991), volunteerism reinforces the unequal relationships between the West and the East. Perold et al. (2012) state that there is an unequal relationship between the volunteers and the local host communities which is caused by the unequal relationship between the West and the East. This unequal relationship in turn impacts how the volunteers think about the local oriental communities and how the local oriental communities think about the volunteers. They found that volunteers think of the local oriental people as poor and in need of assistance, whereas the local oriental people think of the volunteers as having a higher economic status and even as a superior race with special skills. This connects to the concept of Othering in which the Other is “that which is perceived as non-identical or different”, according to Jemmer (2010, 9). “ However, he says that the Other is also shown and described as deficient, which is often how volunteers perceive local host communities, according to Perold et al.