Tourists (especially , film makers and photographers as I think) would like to travel ‘special ‘ places. They feel they are getting matured and inspired because they think they have been engaged in another different type of community or lifestyle in which their friends haven’t experienced yet. they aren’t interested in the reality of poverty but themselves. it’s not engagement , but just a short visit with curiosity. it could be even an invade with a camera as Susan Sontag said. it’s ironic. the world some people are really living within is a kind of exotic fantasy for others. well, i don’t want to blame tourists they are just tourists. However, i think slum tourism gives important implications for the discuss on what kinds of perspectives and attitude should be based on for projects for democracy in developing countries.
BarakAugust 13, 2010 at 3:27 pm
This is an issue I think about a lot because I spend a lot of time working in very poor countries. Sometimes if feel very guilty of slum tourism. At the same time, ignoring their problems won’t make them go away. I suppose I soothe my conscience by telling myself I am bringing attention to the problems the people I am working with face.
DavidAugust 13, 2010 at 5:32 pm
I’ve certainly explored some less than prosperous areas of Egypt and don’t feel better off for it. Part of me would like to justify the trips, but when it comes down to it, I was just doing it because I was curious and wanted to explore the city.
The reality is I didn’t help anybody by going to any of these places. I don’t need to see poverty firsthand to know it exists, and I didn’t open up my checkbook to the community after I did. I suppose when I bought from local business this was contributing in some way, but even this is very minor in the grand scheme of things.
I think it’s perfectly fine to visit areas like that if you are respectful, but I get annoyed by cosmopolitan world travelers who think they understand the plight of the poor better because they’ve seen more of them. I do remember several specific examples of wealthy foreigners telling me about trips they were planning and how they would use the experience to enlighten other people. I just found the whole thing sickening.
Even if you decide to live in such an area for a period of time, you will never actually understand what it is like to live in those conditions. Anybody can put up with bad conditions for awhile, but the stresses of living in poverty involves more than that. I think the best we can do is admit to ourselves that we will never truly understand what their lives are like, be thankful for that, but still realize there are things we can do to help.
BarakAugust 13, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Very well said, David. I agree with you whole-heartedly.
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Tourists (especially , film makers and photographers as I think) would like to travel ‘special ‘ places. They feel they are getting matured and inspired because they think they have been engaged in another different type of community or lifestyle in which their friends haven’t experienced yet. they aren’t interested in the reality of poverty but themselves. it’s not engagement , but just a short visit with curiosity. it could be even an invade with a camera as Susan Sontag said. it’s ironic. the world some people are really living within is a kind of exotic fantasy for others. well, i don’t want to blame tourists they are just tourists. However, i think slum tourism gives important implications for the discuss on what kinds of perspectives and attitude should be based on for projects for democracy in developing countries.
This is an issue I think about a lot because I spend a lot of time working in very poor countries. Sometimes if feel very guilty of slum tourism. At the same time, ignoring their problems won’t make them go away. I suppose I soothe my conscience by telling myself I am bringing attention to the problems the people I am working with face.
I’ve certainly explored some less than prosperous areas of Egypt and don’t feel better off for it. Part of me would like to justify the trips, but when it comes down to it, I was just doing it because I was curious and wanted to explore the city.
The reality is I didn’t help anybody by going to any of these places. I don’t need to see poverty firsthand to know it exists, and I didn’t open up my checkbook to the community after I did. I suppose when I bought from local business this was contributing in some way, but even this is very minor in the grand scheme of things.
I think it’s perfectly fine to visit areas like that if you are respectful, but I get annoyed by cosmopolitan world travelers who think they understand the plight of the poor better because they’ve seen more of them. I do remember several specific examples of wealthy foreigners telling me about trips they were planning and how they would use the experience to enlighten other people. I just found the whole thing sickening.
Even if you decide to live in such an area for a period of time, you will never actually understand what it is like to live in those conditions. Anybody can put up with bad conditions for awhile, but the stresses of living in poverty involves more than that. I think the best we can do is admit to ourselves that we will never truly understand what their lives are like, be thankful for that, but still realize there are things we can do to help.
Very well said, David. I agree with you whole-heartedly.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by DG Program, DG Program. DG Program said: Discussion on the Blog: Is Slum Tourism Voyeurism or Education? http://fb.me/xs8Dw9lo [...]