"Pathological Altruism" And "White Messiah Complex"
Dr. Barbara Oakley studies "pathological altruism," altruism gone wrong: attempts intended to help that instead result in unanticipated harm--for the recipient, for the helper, or some- times for both.
Via @AClassicLiberal, in The American Conservative, John Allen Gay writes about an example of this -- the damaging temporary migrations to the Third World of young Great White Hopes:
It's a rite of passage in upper-middle-class America: the volunteer trip to some impoverished Third World country followed by the new Facebook profile picture with a couple of doe-eyed orphans. The ritual springs from a well-intentioned desire to help those in need and form connections across boundaries of nationality, race, and class. But do these trips actually do much good? Writing for Al Jazeera America, columnist Rafia Zakaria makes the case that they don't. "The problem with voluntourism," she writes, "is its singular focus on the volunteer's quest for experience, as opposed to the recipient community's actual needs.""Voluntourist" laborers can "crowd out local workers" because these volunteers work for free. What's more, as Britain's Daily Telegraph noted last year, some "ethical tourism" companies are backing away from orphanage-volunteering trips after learning that many of the orphans they were helping were not actually orphans--three out of four kids in Cambodian orphanages and nine of 10 in Ghanaian orphanages actually had parents.
Zakaria notes that in Bali, Indonesia,
Children leave home and move to an orphanage because tourists, who visit the island a couple of times a year, are willing to pay for their education. These children essentially work as orphans because their parents cannot afford to send them to school. Instead of helping parents cater to the needs of their children, the tourist demand for orphans to sponsor creates an industry that works to make children available for foreigners who wish to help....The emphasis on good intentions over good outcomes that fuels the White Savior Industrial Complex isn't confined to private "voluntouring," however. It also manifests as a foreign-policy doctrine, one that allows Westerners who have lots of political power--not merely, like tourists, lots of money--to experience the joy of benevolence. Why not make pushing democracy, human rights, and the American way the central goal of America's influence and power? Liberal or humanitarian interventionism sounds good in theory: strong countries have a responsibility to protect the vulnerable from atrocities when their own governments fail to do so. And as with so many of the voluntourists, the liberal interventionist's heart pines for Africa.
There's a problem, though. Far from being an entire continent full of violence and poverty that yearns for the white man's aid, Africa is actually an incredibly diverse place. Its people, just like us, are complicated and tend to defy simplistic characterization. And like ours, their social and political systems are also complicated. Resolving their conflicts, then, is likely to require the same practical, patient, subtle diplomacy that resolves our conflicts.
Africa is a catch all term for a big.ass.place.
I like white women but y'all don't fucking understand that white men are unique in their regards for actually considering you their equals.
You also don't understand the level you are fetishized. I won't go into details but basically desirable light skinned slut would sum it up and it is not to the advantage of your safety.
So everytime I have gone to a third world Latin American country I shake my head at your damn foolishness. Lucky enough that Latin's think your behavior is just funny albeit fucking stupid.
You're safe in Asian countries too but don't for a second think it's because they have egalitarian thoughts like white men. It's just they don't like violence and crime.
Go outside those places and you are taking a big gamble. I'm not sure why nobody ever speaks up about it. White men can travel all they want---yes---but you're not going to be at their mercy. You are at the mercy of men who view you as objects.
Ppen at August 10, 2014 2:41 AM
... altruism gone wrong. Why spend money improving yourself when someone else will.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/claudia-rosett-the-u-n-handmaiden-of-hamas-1407454401
Bob in Texas at August 10, 2014 5:43 AM
The story about professional orphans is very interesting. I never considered that the paradox of big government would apply to big volunteerism. Specifically, every program designed to accomplish "A" will result in "-A."
Bill O Rights at August 10, 2014 7:45 AM
Slightly OT, but Barbara Oakley's book A Mind for Numbers is out and her coursera course that is linked with the book has opened also.
I am still catching up ( I started a week late) but I saw in the weekly listings that she also has an interview with you as part of the class videos.
If anyone is interested hit coursera.org, it is free. They have a certificate option that costs, but you can just take the class free.
rsj at August 10, 2014 7:57 AM
So this is like Fantasy Rock Camp. Your kid can pretend to be a Good Person Who Cares, gets a college admissions essay out of the experience, and kids in Bali learn that White People Are Crazy. Seems like a win-win to me.
kateC at August 10, 2014 8:08 AM
As far as I can tell, the college students from wealthy families add it to their resume to help compensate for their lack of work experience.
I really, really enjoy ignoring their Poverty Camp experiences during the interview.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at August 10, 2014 8:20 AM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2014/08/pathological-al-1.html#comment-4928517">comment from rsjThanks - she was also on my show recently.
Here's a link with a link to her book within the show text:
Advice Goddess Radio: Dr. Barbara Oakley on how to retrain your brain and learn how to learn.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon/2014/08/04/dr-barbara-oakley-on-how-to-retrain-your-brain-and-learn-how-to-learn
Her course is here:
https://www.coursera.org/course/learning
PS Don't post more than one link here in a single comment unless you're me -- because I'm doing it through my software. Yours will likely go to spam. Post separate comments for each link but wait about 30 secs or more between posting each.
Where did you find the video with me?
Amy Alkon
at August 10, 2014 8:48 AM
Damn Amy. Who did you piss off?
First you are getting notices (If you like Ben and Jerry's Rocky Road you might like ...) and now you are in a video.
(Just kidding)
Bob in Texas at August 10, 2014 9:52 AM
Your video interview is posted in the week two listings as a bonus video. I haven't gotten that far yet. I am trying to become an organized person and go through the videos in order. Usually I would flit about viewing out of order and choosing what looked most interesting first, but that gets a little chaotic and then I miss stuff. Someday I will be organized and have my stuff together, naturally. :D
rsj at August 10, 2014 10:48 AM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2014/08/pathological-al-1.html#comment-4928926">comment from Bob in TexasHah, Bob.
I could pretend to know nothing about the video, except for how Gregg brought over his camera and a light he rented from Samy's Camera and shot it for Barb in my living room. Apparently, I'm even coherent. (It was like Florida in my bathroom as I was getting ready, so it's a wonder I wasn't speaking in tongues.)
And thanks re: how to find the video. Barb sent me a link, which I should go find!
Amy Alkon
at August 10, 2014 11:27 AM
This doesn't just apply overseas. The same effect happens domestically in the US. The laws of unintended consequences respect no borders.
And Ppen is 100% correct about foolish and personally dangerous actions the altruistic take.
Ben at August 10, 2014 12:50 PM
As far as I can tell, the college students from wealthy families add it to their resume to help compensate for their lack of work experience.
This. Although their pictures of pretending to hammer things and shovel are so unintentionally funny.
A lot of people genuinely want to travel and they genuinely want to help, and they think VolunTourism is a way to kill two birds with one stone. But, really, if you want to help, just donate your f*cking money to organizations who know what they're doing. Or do a Kiva loan or similar. And then go on vacation wherever the hell you want.
I went to Botswana a few years ago. When I got back, everyone was like, "Oh did you volunteer while you were there?" I did not. I camped, hiked and saw wildlife and ate awesome food. I thought it was super arrogant for people to assume that I could somehow help them better than they can help themselves, given that I can barely assemble Ikea furniture by myself. Also, Botswana has a pretty darn good education system, but scarce jobs. So why the hell should I go there and do some condescending volunteer work when I could be spending my money on things that employ people?
sofar at August 10, 2014 6:57 PM
All of these VolunTourism and Mission trips are a joke. My favorite story about mission trips is this: We live in Minnesota. Two families we know well were telling us about their wonderful upcoming mission trips: one is a local family that was heading down to Gary to paint a church or some such. The other family is from suburban Chicago. Guess where they were heading? Duluth, Minnesota! I can just picture their rented coach busses passing each other on I-90.
As others have said: these trips accomplish nothing but self delusion for the participants. "I'm such a good person. Who wouldn't love and admire me?"
What a waste of time, money, gas, and, most importantly, the opportunity to have done something of *real* value.
ken at August 10, 2014 7:34 PM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2014/08/pathological-al-1.html#comment-4929995">comment from sofarLove this, sofar:
Amy Alkon
at August 10, 2014 8:33 PM
I interned for an overseas NGO one summer. It wasn't volunteer, I got paid. It was mostly faxing and filing and photocopying, but hey, shit needs to get done, and that is what student interns are for, right?
What I liked about it in retrospect was that it was a Swiss NGO with an English dude heading the local chapter, but they were organizing to have local people take over. The reality is though that the people living there did need outside aid, due to the border situation. The org works closely with the UNDP and helped with UN food deliveries.
One of their biggest projects was getting women to breastfeed, which you'd think would not be a big deal but in a place where people can't afford tons of foods and have lots of kids, and where water quality is sporadic, it's actually quite important. By breastfeeding they can save money they'd use for formula to feed the rest of the family, and don't have to worry on the weeks the water is cut off. One problem is because the formula is expensive, moms would put in half the powder they were supposed to in order to make it last.
Anyhow, I'm rambling. But that was my biggest take-away from that summer. Fun fact: The NGOs who had formula donated made it into cheese.
NicoleK at August 11, 2014 5:12 AM
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