Market+pressures,+ideals,+and+fair+trade+learning

Download a PDF of this page ** Market pressures, ideals, and fair trade learning ** Eric Hartman, Visiting Assistant Professor, Providence College [emhartman@gmail.com]

Cassandra Chaire, Marketing and Programs Intern, Amizade Global Service-Learning [Cassandra@amizade.org]


 * Keywords:** Fair trade learning, global university-community partnerships, global service-learning, community development, learning partnership


 * Conference track:** Global community engagement and comparative studies


 * Format:** Poster presentation

Every year over 100,000 American students travel the world to participate in study and volunteer abroad programs. There are many different types of these programs, each is offering its own level of community engagement and voice. Many of these programs operate by focusing solely on the student experience and rarely consider the important value and sacrifice of the communities they work in. Still others engage community leaders and organizations they operate in but fail to recognize the importance and power of a mutual learning partnership, based on dialogue, transparency, and respect. These challenges are significant enough but are even more worrisome when considered in the context of the growing market for study abroad, short-term immersion, and service and volunteer experiences. This marketplace is so unregulated and lacking in transparency that New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo briefly launched an investigation of several university study abroad offices and third-party providers.
 * Summary**

With these concerns in mind, one global nongovernmental organization recently advanced an articulation of Fair Trade Learning. Drawing on their community partnership in Jamaica, this model recognizes that individuals and communities that host students and volunteers are uniquely impacted by visitors and should be offered fair working conditions and compensation, hold significant voice in the orchestration of programming, and be offered proper professional development opportunities.

Based on a doctoral seminar on the topic of Fair Trade Learning, which will firmly position this model within the literature on global service-learning and community development, we advance a theoretical articulation of fair trade learning. We also offer evaluation and assessment rubrics for institutions and individuals interested in considering the extent to which global university-community partnerships exhibit these best practice characteristics.

AlJazeera, 2012. When Volunteering Becomes Big Business. Available at  [Accessed 5 June 2012].
 * References**

Amizade Global Service-Learning, 2012. Fair Trade Learning. Available at  [Accessed 5 June 2012].

Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa. http://www.fairtourismsa.org.za/

Farrell, E.F., 2007. New York Attorney General Seeks Information from Study Abroad Providers. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Available at  [Accessed 5 June 2012].

Grusky, S. 2000. International Service Learning: A critical guide from an impassioned advocate. American Behavioral Scientist, vol. 43, no. 5. pp. 858-867.

International Volunteer Programs Association, 2012. Our Principles and Practices. Available at  [Accessed 5 June 2012].

McGehee, N. 2011. Oppression, Emancipation and Volunteer Tourism: Research Propositions. Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 84-107.

Mdee, A. and Emmott, R. 2008. Social enterprise with international impact: The case for fair trade certification of volunteer tourism. Education, Knowledge & Economy, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 191-201.

Simpson, K. 2004. ‘Doing Development’: The gap year volunteer-tourists and a popular practice of development. Journal of International Development, vol. 16, pp. 681-692.

Stoddart, H. and Rogerson, C.M. Volunteer tourism: The case of Habitat for Humanity South Africa. GeoJournal, vol. 60, no. 3, pp. 311-318.

Staywyse, 2012. Youth Travel – The Next BIG THING at ITB Berlin 2012. The Association of Youth Travel Accommodation. Available at  [Accessed 1 June 2012].

Stoecker, R. and Tryon, E. 2009. The Unheard Voices: Community Organizations and Service-Learning. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

Tomazos, K. and Cooper, W. 2012. Volunteer tourism: At the crossroads of commercialization and service? Current Issues in Tourism, vol. 15, no. 5, pp. 405-423.

UNEP, Economic Impacts of Tourism Available at http://www.uneptie.org/scp/tourism/sustain/impacts/economic/negative.htm [Accessed 24 June 2012] World Bank Data, 2012. Available at  [Accessed 5 June 2012].


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