Final Portfolio

Professor Beck
By : Leanne Wilson

RTM 404

Section #1: PBS Untold Stories Project Yosemite Buffalo Soldiers Essay..3 Mount Rushmore, Telling Americas Stories Essay.4 Manzanar, Never Again Essay5 Section #2: Information LiteracyCodes of Cultural Behavior My Choice of Country..7 Brief Cultural Overview...7 Codes of Cultural Behavior....9 Unusual Aspects of Culture...10 Section #3: Mountains Beyond Mountains Essays Application of the W Curve of Cultural Change..11 Connecting with People Who are Different..12 Beyond Mountains There are Mountains13 Five Major Lessons..14 Perspectives on How You See the World.15 Section #4: Midterm Online Survey Section #5: InternetProject Implicit Interpretation of Results.16 Relevance to Cultural Diversity..18 Relevance to Cross-Cultural Perspectives of Tourism...19 Section #6: InternetVolunTourism The Difficult Questions.20 Insights about Trip Preparation23 Processing Experiences24 Post-Trip.24 Summary of Articles ..25 VolunTourism for You?........................................................................................................30 Section #7: Final Online Survey References.31

Section #1: PBS Untold Stories Project Yosemite Buffalo Soldiers Essay National parks were created for everyone to enjoy and benefit from. Shelton Johnson has the right idea by reaching out to African Americans who consist of only one percent of visitors to national parks each year. Starting with informing society of Buffalo Soldiers could have a very positive impact on national parks. This is an exceptional part of American history that everyone should be informed about. Johnson has already taken the responsibility on himself and exposed African American history in national parks to a diverse group of people throughout America. He was featured on the Oprah Winfrey show (Navarro) that address this issues in 2010. Recognizing Black History Month could have a great impact on the tourist rates of African Americans to national parks. During the month of February national parks could offer discounts in recognition of Black History Month. All families would have the opportunity take everyone to the parks. Rates can be expensive and it discourages large family to visit these historical sites. Also everyone, not just African Americans ,can take advantage of this opportunity. There are many things that can be done to attract, not only African Americans, but people from all ethnic groups to national parks all over the country. Some ideas include reducing admission prices for children. This would attract a lot more families to the park. A large family cant afford park prices at $12 per person. Charging only the adults to visit and letting kids benefit from the experience for free can result in a lot more future business.

4 Johnson is a great example of a child who visited a national park as a child and new he would return. Kids who are deprived of this opportunity may never know what they are missing out on and overlook national parks and their history.

Mount Rushmore, Telling Americas Stories Essay

This is a topic I have never learned much about before. I never realized the controversy building Mount Rushmore had on a Native American community in the Black Hills. I found this section particularly interesting because I have Native American in me from my Fathers side of the family. After reading about this and watching the video you provided us with I believe incorporating Native American history into national parks is very important. Native American culture in national parks is something that is often over looked. It has a negative connotation because of the way they were treated and how giving them enormous amounts of money was supposed to make taking away their land and home acceptable. Mount Rushmore isnt the only national park that has Native American heritage integrated into the park. Actually, most parks were once home to Native Americans such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon. I believe tourists should be informed about where the precious land they are enjoying comes from. I found that NPS usually leaves out the Native stories in the parks, letting Indians vanish from most park landscapes (Pahre) because they dont have accurate information on the topic. National parks lack funding to develop an informative way to let visitors know about the Native American sagas. I have visited many of these sites and learned nothing about such an important subject. I believe simply informing guests

5 about the culture that surrounds these lands could have a drastic impact on peoples perception of national parks. Telling just a few of the significant turning points the Native Americans encountered while having their land taken away and turned into a national park could bring more interest and worth to the park itself.

Manzanar, Never Again Essay

Its important that tourists who visit Manzanar know why its there. They should know that it was a prison for Japanese after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This was definitely an extreme measure for national security. I believe the fact that Manzanar is still around today is very important for our country and it says a lot. Many people would never believe something like this could happen. It was a negative place and lots of bad things happened there and you cant erase history. But you can learn from it. People can learn a lot about our country if they visit Manzanar. The most important part of the pilgrimage is the end when survivors tell them what happened and how they felt about it. This preserves our history and molds our future. We need to find a balance between civil liberties and national security. This can be used as a great learning experience for our country. National security is extremely important but we need to be aware of the boundaries. I was blown away that when they were called to the camps that they all got dressed up and they all went without too much resistance. I doubt think that would be the case today, people would be much less willing to go to a camp like this. I believe thats a change we have already created which is necessary for our world today.

6 People should be aware of how, as a nation, we treat people. In relevance to 9/11 we negatively stereotyped people from the Middle East. We tightened our airline security for all, but selected to focus and direct problems at people who fit that negative stereotype. I believe tourist who visit Manzanar should be aware that neither of these events happened too long ago and that we are still learning from our mistakes to make us a nation that welcomes all people. This is a slow change and its hard for many people, but in our hearts, we know it is the right thing. Allowing a site like this to remain says a lot and it will continue to say a lot as we change. This can be a learning place for many and even a life changing experience.

7 Section #2: Information LiteracyCodes of Cultural Behavior My Choice of Country

When I first decided to examine a country I had originally pick Jamaica because I was going to do a sustainability work, global citizenship, and community empowerment program with a study abroad program with state. The trip got cancelled because we didnt have enough students sign up. So now I am going to be examining China. I am going there to teach young children English in rural China. This opportunity has stirred up many emotions. I have heard many different things about China so exploring their culture and their behaviors will help me a lot on my trip.

Brief Cultural Overview

China will be the largest economy in the world within the next 20 years. It is developing increasingly fast. I learned a lot about the Chinese culture during class when we watched the documentary China Revealed. It focused on some interesting facts, such as the life of an Olympic athlete in training. China has changed a lot over the years, and they will continue changing to keep up with the times Chinese culture varies a lot depending on location and whom you ask. Spread out over two-thirds of the land mass includes fifty-seven distinct minorities, each with its own language(Understanding China), but only represents one-tenth of the total population. As a whole, China is quickly modernizing but the sense of loyalty is overwhelming. The idea of modernizing dates back to the 1960s (Fanjun) and had been developing ever since. China

8 is unique because it has really adapted the idea of modernization in its own way, especially between different locations. They have become very industrialized and is changing the their entire agriculture methods, but still want to keep their traditional culture. Chinese is one of the hardest languages to learn. Many theories have been drawn that the structures of language is determinative in maintaining an unbridgeable cognitive and cultural gulf between China and the West(China and Other Matters). But we are able go change this theory if we understand that for over 2000 years learning Chinese takes on moral and social purposes rather than merely for the utilitarian goal of

communication(An introduction to Chinese Culture Through the Family) because its part of their culture. I hope to learn some words while I am out there so I can communicate slightly, but I know it would impossible to make any sort of significant progresses in a month. I would have to study for years to be able to write and understand it fully. A lot of people in China are very religious. They focus on a philosophical outlook on life for their religion, but their interruption of it is a little different then ours. They consider philosophy an attempt to make rational sense of things once all information is available (An introduction to Chinese Culture Through the Family). A very popular public religion is Buddhism. While they have many other religions throughout the country, this one has been represents the society as a whole best. China has had a lot of economical success. Their social structure is very similar to ours when described by James T.C. Liu as those who labor with their mind rule and those who labor with their physical strength are ruled(Traditional China), this is very relevant in our society today. Although, the power of money does have a higher of an impact on social structure in China then the US, higher education this reducing gap between our two worlds.

Codes of Cultural Behavior

Its important to understand the codes of cultural behavior the country you are traveling to emphasis to avoid conflict. There are lots of dos and donts within the Chinese culture. I am going to go into detail first about public/social dos and donts. Then I am going to examine some professional dos and dont that can improve how to do business in China. The Chinese are a lot more reserved then we are here in the Western culture. Dont wear overly revealing clothing. My teacher suggested to always a little scarf you could wrap around yourself so you dont expose too much skin. They understand we are from a different culture, but it shows them respect and you wont feel judged if you cover up. Its considered very rude to refuse alcohol if someone offers it to you. Even if you dont drink alcohol you should take a sip and thank them for the offer. Always taste every dish that if offered to you because they find is very disrespectful if you dont at least try it. I also read that you should never finish all the food on your plate because they could interpret that as you still being hungry and get you more food. The Chinese are very punctual so always be on time. This will not be a problem for me because I am a very punctual person all the time. I do need to be aware that I am in a different country so I wont know my way around as well. When you go to the markets in China bargain with the seller. They are always willing to reduce the price if you make them a good offer. Gifts are often given at holidays and certain events I will be bringing gifts for

10 the children I will be teaching while I am there. I do need to make sure to present the gift with two hands. When doing business in China its important to keep in mind that the Chinese are much more formal then we are most of the time. Do plan meetings for at least a month in advance. Never be the first to leave a meeting. Always shake everybody hand when you introduce yourself. Dont be impatient, because building a lasting relationship can take a long time. Dont be confrontational. Do bring copies of any paperwork you are presenting at the meeting. Do wear neutral colors so you dont stand out at a meeting. Black, white, grey, and tan are common among the Chinese.

Unusual Aspects of Culture

The most unusual aspect of the Chinese culture is how reserved they are as a whole. Coming from such an aggressive, competitive country this is unusual. Even if it is hot in China they will still cover themselves up. I certainly have to make sure I am covered up with I am at the school in rural China. We are also staying at the Tsinghai University, while I am at the university it will be fine to wear just a tank top and shorts because they are a lot more laid back and modernized. Its weird how one part of the country can be so different then another part, only 2 hours away. I am a very picky eater so being forced to try everything they present to me will be very difficult. It makes me very aware of how different our two cultures are. I know this is common courtesy anywhere, but its okay if you reject politely some places, and others that would be very offensive, like China.

11 Section #3: Mountains Beyond Mountains Essays

Application of the W Curve of Cultural Change

When we travel to new place we can experience something completely unique to anything else weve ever experienced before. After these experiences it is easy to feel a sense of accomplishment and a desire for more. Some people are able to return to their own territory and live their lives as normally as they did before they left. Others, like Paul Farmer, cant stop thinking about these people and are constantly finding ways to return. More and more people traveling to help others and to make even a little change for the better in the world. Most people are aware of what culture shock is and mentally prepare themselves for what they are getting themselves into. I recently learned that it is also important to mentally prepare for the transition returning home. Many people experience a low when they return home too; this is called reverse culture shock. Paul Farmer is an incredibly intelligent person who uses his knowledge to help others who severely need it. He is constantly improving his self-development through traveling. When he traveled to Haiti he saw all of the opportunities he could take advantage of to make this country a little better. He was doing a lot of good work in America at the time, but chooses travel to Haiti on a regular basis because he feels like he is getting more out of helping people who dont have qualified doctors or the resources to preserve their wellbeing. When Paul Farmers asks himself Could I do that? he is admitting he could never imagine life without going back to Haiti. This is an example of reverse shock, as shown in

12 the w curve, because he really misses that host culture and desires to go back. He believes he has a responsibility to return because he wants to make a difference and knows he can. Farmer is making a drastic difference by helping people who lack a proper health care system. This host culture needs people who are willing to provide skills and teaching without expecting anything in return. This is progressing their society and showing them how to take better care of themselves. Farmer teaches young nurses and doctors advanced practices that are widely used throughout US, but that we exploit and loss sight of its value.

Connecting with People Who are Different

People travel all over for many different reasons and interact with different people everyday. To build lasting relationships its important to apply different interpersonal skills to specific situations, depending on whom you are dealing with. Farmers situation requires him to create relationships between patients more often then not, and these relationships revolve around trust. He deals with these people on a daily basis and he has perfected this skill, which makes him better at his job. Farmer has astounding interpersonal communication skills, which enhances his ability to interact with people who come from all corners of the world. He does this by being aware of his surroundings at all times. Farmer travels all over the world lecturing at conventions to teach people about medicine. He has learned a lot while traveling and interacting with all kinds of people. One of the most fascinating pieces of advice he gives is to never let a patient know that you have problems, this is an excellent example of

13 interpersonal communication skill he utilizes to create a necessary lasting relationship with patients. Beyond Mountains There are Mountains

The title Mountains Beyond Mountains can be interpreted in many ways, depending on how one chooses to apply it. Proverbs are vague and supposed to be adapted to different ideas. In the Haitian culture it is often used to express the idea that opportunities are inexhaustible, [or] sometimes as a way of saying that when you surmount one great obstacle you merely gain a clear view of the next one(Kidder Interview, 2004) and he wanted both to be the deeper meaning of his title. Farmers work can be described through either of those meanings. Farmer starts out traveling to Haiti after he becomes aware of the problematic situations these local people are in. He is traveling regularly to Haiti during the entire book to assist these people in any way he can. His success was not produced overnight; it took years of work, lots of money and ample roadblocks. These ongoing roadblocks represent problems that have to be handled one at a time with a spirit of optimism until properly completed and the next one arises. But, overcoming each of these roadblocks permits even more opportunities for Farmer. He gains more and more support, which eventually allows his dreams and ideas to improve health all over the world. Essentially no one will ever stop running into problems. But, how one approaches these problems determines if they are going to allow positive thoughts to help them overcome it or if they are going to see the next problem and get discouraged. I have experienced this difficulty throughout my education often. I can get easily discouraged if I

14 do poorly on an exam. I have found that a positive spirit of optimism can help me get over that mountain and onto the next one.

Five Major Lessons

This is a very inspirational book that encourages people understand more about the world they live in. Once they understand they should evaluate how what they learned makes them feel. If they are curious or uncomfortable with what they find they should research and get an even deeper understanding of why. If one wants to help, they cant let anything stand in their way. They will eventually open new doors and they have to inform others of their discoveries. Its imperative to always look at the big picture and making sure you a constantly improving. The first major lesson I believe this book is presenting is to simply realize there a lot out there most people havent seen and might never get to see. It dares people to be curious of the unknown. As a culture, we are very privileged. This book challenges the reader to explore the world around them through traveling. Traveling to new places, near or far, is only way to learn first hand of the world around them. (Explore ask questions) This will inspire some people to want to make an impact in anyway the can. If someone decides they want to help they shouldnt let any mountain get in the way. It wont be easy, especially at the beginning. This will discourage some people, but plenty of others will use all their energy to make a positive impact. This most effective way to make a difference if determine how specifically you can help. (Do you want to help? Set goals.)

15 Once that niche has been found, perfect it. Constantly working on self-development will allow the difficult process become a little easier. Gradually improving will increase confidence and more opportunities will always emerge. Keep setting realistic goals and figuring how to accomplish them. (Achieve goals) Another lesson this book emphasis is to educate others. People who are making a difference, in any way, are always inspiring others. The more you learn the more you should educate. Inspiring just one person can make a huge difference. (Educate others) Evaluating every decision made will create a stable foundation you can use while traveling. Reflect on all actions made. Why did you make that choice? What would the outcome have been like if you did something else? Make sure you have the right motivation or you can head down the wrong path. (Reflect)

Perspectives on How You See the World

Mountains Beyond Mountains has changed the way I view at the world. I really enjoyed reading this, I found it entertaining and inspiring. The direction I went with the last essay represents how my perspective changed on the world. Problems can be improved so many different ways, and I have been swayed to travel and come to my own conclusions first hand. I believe anyone can help and I think people should help. I understand its not always easy but I am curious and I want to go lots of places. I am traveling to rural China this summer to have an impact on young children and learn about their world. I am excited to see how much the experience as a whole relates to the expectations I have created in my head already.

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Section #5: InternetProject Implicit Interpretation of Results

The first IAT test I took was for Gender-Science. My results indicated that I have a strong association of Male with Science and Female with Liberal Arts. I think this result was expected. At the beginning of the IAT test that immediately asked me questions about how much I relate males with science and females with liberal arts. These questions made me aware of the stereotype that is still out there today. While I was taking the test it was much easier to associate the two groups as I was taking the test. It pressured me to answer questions quickly, so it does not surprise me that I would associate these things together, resulting in quicker response time when the words popped up on the screen. I am very curious to understand fully how they decided the difference between strong, moderate, and slight. I believe this is accurate because Ive been around this stereotype for so long that its easy for me to associate females with liberal arts. Although I know this isnt always the case.

The second IAT test I took was the Age one. This one was different because it used pictures instead of words to classify young and old. The first time I took this one the results came up slight automatic preference for young to old. I accidently closed the page before I could take a snapshot of it, so I took the test again. The second time I took the test

17 the results said I had a moderate slight automatic preference for young to old. I really want to know why the results didnt come back the same? This makes me wonder how accurate their interpretations are. The questions they ask at the end usually expose the answer before hand. I agreed with the first test more then the second. I am probably attracted automatically to young people, because Im young. I have no problems with older people. They are always so sweet.

The third IAT test I took was Weight. My results indicated that I strongly prefer thin people to fat people. I believe this is the most accurate out of the other tests. I do have this strange bias towards thin people and I believe it was because of the way I was raised. I believe health is very important and I believe that everyone should be concerned about his or her health. It is very unhealthy to be overweight, and it might not be easy to lose the weight, but it would be worth it in the long run.

The fourth IAT test I took was Skin tone. Looking at the percentages that most other people who have taken this test got was interesting. It said that 27% of people had a strong automatic preference for light skin compared to dark skin. Another 27% had a moderate preference for light skin compared to dark skin. I would like to find out how many of the people that took these tests were light or dark skinned. My results indicated that I have a

18 slight preference for light skin to dark skin. I believe this is fairly accurate. I have no conscious preference towards lighter skin, but since I am light skinned I am sure that influences me in some way.

The fifth IAT test I took was the Weapons one. Me, along with 30% of test takers, fall into category of moderate association of Black Americans with weapons compared to White Americans. I believe this is accurate and I knew I had those feelings before I took the test. I feel like growing up the society I did its almost impossible to not have those associations. This stereotype was always in movies and TV shows. Its not a good thing. Hopefully one day this will not be a problem for future generations.

Relevance to Cultural Diversity

I believe this has a lot of relevance to cultural diversity. People are often unaware of their preferences for people because our instinct comes from with unconscious self. This project made me aware of that and I believe it would be important for everyone wanting to travel to be aware of these results. People might take a step and a reevaluate the situation and the judgments they are making of people. I know I will try to do that as I travel the

19 world. It would allow people to be more accepting of all people and they would enjoy their experience and the community more. I feel like its very difficult for people to not have some bias towards one or other. These opinions all come from personal experiences and maybe after I travel these beliefs would be strengthened. Hopefully they are not though, I want to be proved wrong so I have a founder perspective in the world and how unpredictable it is.

Relevance to Cross-Cultural Perspective of Tourism

These questions were mainly associated to Americans. The last IAT test I took wasnt just about weapons, it was about Black/White Americans with weapons. Knowing that other cultures could have influenced these results gives me a better understanding of my perspective. The results of these are tests are supposed to reveal our hidden feelings about specific people and groups. If these are our hidden feelings, will we ever be able to change them? I dont believe this test is perfectly accurate but I believe it shows how we are so strongly influenced. This can influence the choices we make, such as while traveling. But, I hope that as people travel and delve into a culture they might have preconceived notions about they learn and grow from their experiences. Hopefully doing something like this will change the hidden feelings we all have and allow us to experience the world and everything is has to offer without judging others as much.

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Section #6: InternetVolunTourism

1: The Difficult Questions

Where Do I want to go? Costa Rica Question #1: What is my personal minimum requirement for accommodations? (For example: Do I need running water? My own bed? My own room?) I would need my own bed every night, running water, and access to food. I am able to live without hot water as long as I go during a warm season. I understand that many places dont have the same accommodations as we do here so for a short period of time I am willing to immerse myself in their culture so I can achieve the full experience. Question #2: How much money can I truly spend to pay for a VolunTourism trip? (In other words, what can I afford to pay without being anxious during my entire trip because I spent more money than I should have?) I would not be comfortable spending more than $1500 for any single VolunTourism trip. Depending on where I am going I would also factor in extra money I could spend while there. I hope to do programs like this once I have a stable income and save more then I am now. I want to be able to take full advantage of the program and what is has to offer.

21 Question #3: How much time/percentage of my trip do I want to dedicate to volunteering and how much to travel & tourism? I would want to dedicate about 20-30 hours a week for volunteering. I know I would want to experience all of the sights and touristy parts of the place I am visiting. I would want to be immersed in the true culture while doing my volunteer work because I think I would get the most satisfaction out of it. I would want to become friends with locals and get to know them so they can show me around take me to sights I can truly appreciate. Question #4: How sensitive am I to deprivation, poverty, starvation, health issues, etc.? (For example, can I mentally and emotionally process being with children who have no arms or legs, or cleft palates, or bloated stomachs from malnutrition?) I am mildly sensitive to issues like this, but I believe that once I am in immersed in a culture that suffers from deprivation and I learn more about it and how I can help it would gradually start to bother me less. I am traveling to rural China this summer and it will be my first experience with something like this. The teacher leading this program tried to prepare me but I believe it will be a complete culture shock when I arrive. I am prepared for the unexpected. Question #5: What tolerance do I have for extremes in climate? (For example, is desert heat an issue for me? Arctic cold? Rainforest humidity?) I enjoy warm places as long as its not over 110 degrees everyday. I am willing to go anywhere that is warm. I do not like cold climates. I wouldnt so well in a place like

22 the Arctic. If I go away where cold I would not enjoy my experience as much so I will always be aware of the season in the Country I am traveling to. Question #6: What food preferences and aversions do I have? (For example, can I eat anything that is placed in front of me? Vegetarian only? Food allergies?) I am not allergic to any foods but I am a rather picky eater. I will certainly try anything once but eating certain types of animals would really bother me. I heard that scorpion is a delicacy in China and I most likely will not be trying it. Perhaps if I were intoxicated I would be a bit more daring to try new foods. I would love to be able to say I have tried it. I just have this mental block that will not allow me to eat it. My body would probably reject it. Question #7: How good are my people skills in relation to travel? (For example, do I feel comfortable speaking with anyone, anywhere, regardless of who it may be? Only people I know? Do I like to travel alone?) I am very outgoing and will talk to anyone. I have traveled alone many times and I really enjoy it. Although if I were traveling to an unfamiliar country I would want to know at least one person I could stay in contact with, especially, if I am unfamiliar with the language. I think traveling along has a lot of perks and is often underrated. I guess depending on where, when and how long I am traveling for I would determine if I needed to travel with someone else or not. Question #8: What travel experience do I have? (Domestic? International? None?) I do a lot of traveling throughout the US. This summer will be my first time traveling

23 outside of the US and this will be the beginning of my traveling experience. I hope that next time I answer a questions like this I have a much more extensive answer. Question #9: What volunteer experience do I have? (Helping your brother or sister with his/her homework does not count!) I have done a lot of volunteering for business events. Like setting up/checking people in. I wish I had more volunteer experience with helping out the community and nature. I am going to be teaching English to children in rural China and I hope this is a very fulfilling experience. Question #10: What voluntary service would I like to perform? (You may not have a preference, but by asking this question, you will know if you do.)

I would like to help communities be more sustainable. Like giving children better schools, playgrounds, gardens, ect. I am also very interested in making communities sustainable through adding and developing tourism in small communities. Working with children would be very rewarding so it is definitely on the top of my list. I also like working outdoors to better the environment.

2: Insights about Trip Preparation

1. Time sensitivity. Many cultures have different perspectives on time. Many cultures are more laid back so being aware of this can help one get a better understanding of the community.

24 2. Accomplishment Syndrome. While I am teaching English for two weeks in China, the Professor of the program said it would be completely unrealistic to expect to improve the childrens English skills. They will be so satisfied just to have us travel to their community and talk about our lives, and give them gifts. 3. To be prepared. Sometimes its difficult to be prepared but doing a lot of research before helps.

3: Processing Experiences

I think this section included some really good advice. Most people dont think about that fact that this experience will affect them in many ways. Especially if they are traveling to a poverty stricken place. I thought it was interesting how to noted that they were not referring to alcohol and drugs. I would not have thought those would be techniques some people would use but considering how big they are in the American culture is makes sense that they would have to post a side note about it. I really liked that they tell you to think about these things before you depart for your trip. Being able to process the experiences while you are can probably help the most. While I am in China I plan on keeping a blog upto-date with everything going on and what I am doing.

4: Post-Trip

25 This was my first time learning about the re-entry phase. Since I have never traveled to a place and experienced something so emotional this never occurred to me. Taking a few days off when you return could be necessary while dealing with this phase. Putting your life into perspective after an experience, such as traveling to the other side of the world, could benefit and improve your life a lot. This may allow one to reevaluate things in their lives and appreciate everything a lot more. The motivation section was very eye opening for me. So many people think all the worlds problems can be solved with money, but that is not the case. People who truly care and take the time to fully understand the problems and the solutions are the ones who are going to make a difference. Changing an entire culture is probably one of the hardest things I could even imagine doing. I would imagine that avoiding telling people about the experiences you encountered is probably one of the toughest things. I would certainly want to boast about all these great life-changing experiences I just had. But, I completely understand why it is better not to do this. I think it would also have a greater impact on more people. It would allow people to approach the topic with their own free will. Maybe after one comes back from an experience like this, their friends arent in a situation where they want to hear all about it. Perhaps down the line, even couple months or years, they could have a change of heart. They are aware of what you did but now they would want to hear the details.

5: Summary of Articles

26 The Events That Shaped & Influenced VolunTourism in Decade 1.0

This article reviews how the last decade has shaped Voluntourism. It presents one specific event for each year. The events he focused on each year contributed to the overall growth & development of voluntourism, expanded awareness of the concept, and/or generated interest in pursuing either the participation in or the adoption of voluntourism based on his opinion. Voluntourism is really seeing a lot more involvement and I am so happy to see that. The more people who get in involved with Voluntourism, the more people who are taking steps to make this world a little bit better. Its hard to imagine what this year will bring but I am sure it will be better then last year. The more people that become aware of Voluntourism will gradually connect two completely different cultures. They want to promote the company as an experience without revealing the needs the people they will be helping.

VolunTourism 2020 Vision

This article suggests that ten percent of travelers in 2020 be doing volunteer work. They say for this to be possible more destination-specific VolunTourism sites need to be created. They claim this would allow more people to decide whether or not it they could actually do the program. There are a lot of specific location programs out there people can choose from, they just want to make being able to find this information more user friendly.

27 It can be hard to retrieve some of this information if someone doesnt know how to look for it. The other thing that would make this possible is the dragonfly effect. They want to promote the company by creating uniquely-tailored social media around VolunTourism so more people become of aware of it. They arent as involved in social media yet as they should be. Promoting a company like this would be promoting social change. They want to start small and target one person at a time. Kind of like how one should approach changing the world, one step at a time. They would also personalize the experience for the person so they can maximize the benefits. I like that they are trying to create business by using free resources. Word of moth is the best way to promote type of product or service. Social is huge these days and getting more involved with things like twitter and facebook can increase people saving the world.

Wisdom and Insight: Brain Fitness, Cognitive Health and VolunTourism

We are continually learning more and more about how our brain works and how we can make ourselves more intelligent. This article gave insight to how a voluntourism experience can be rewarding because it actually exercises the brain mentally and creates new ways of thinking. It obvious that an experience with voluntourism would be life changing, but its even better to have evidence that it is mentally healthy. VolunTourism.org did a lot of research on this topic and examined exactly how one of their experiences can be great brain fitness.

28 Most people who choose to do a voluntourism activity are probably mentally exercising their brains a lot more then most people. These people are motivated because everything they will experience in the field will be novel, adaptive and challenging, and they enjoy learning about themselves and different cultures. They interviewed o Alvaro Fernandez, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of SharpBrains.com for support of this newfound idea. He supported their argument that voluntourism can increase connections between neurons, which allows the brain become more active and this makes it easier to develop new skills and be more adaptive to the changing world around us.

The Age of the Transformation Economy

This article was unique because they examined how the experience of tourism was first created. It analyzed how voluntourism kind of came about in the economy and after the evolution of the tourism experience. They researched the development of tourism to [gain] conceptual and theoretical foundations of the tourism experience so people are better able to manage and sell tourism. This was the first time I saw the prosumers. It stood out to me because its an appealing word. I think they use it to captivate potential clients. They make the consumer feel involved in the process and it makes traveling a less passive activity. People are now able to create their own experience at a small cost. There are actually two people who benefit from the production of a tourism experience and a volunteer experience. The first one is the person creating the event and suiting it to either exact needs so they can get as much out of it as possible. The second is the host community that will welcome the prosumer. This new product is attempting to

29 meet the needs of a humans spirit and soul and met in the marketplace of ideas and personal services which is very unique. Experiences are usually something people cant just got out and buy. But now there are rewarding experiences, like voluntourism, that sell in the market place if they are effectively advertised.

Here Comes the Sun

As this article started I immediately related it back to the class where Professor Beck enlightened our class about his trip to Peru. I thought it was really cool that he uses his personal experiences to bring the most to the classroom. As I was reading this I felt like I was listening to lecture all over again, only his lecture had much more detail and this short article doesnt do the entire experience justice. He was right when saying that each section could be an entire article in itself. Explaining the destination, organization, and group of travelers going is important to get a sense of what it was like to be there in real time. I can only imagine how much more time and effort went into helping this community then briefly explained in this article. I really enjoyed the benefits section because it went into how the community and the host benefit from people traveling to their country and getting involved with the community. I remember in class that he told us that every couple of weeks they have a new group of people come in and interact with the people of that community. He also showed us pictures of the children opening gifts they brought from the US and it was like it was

30 Christmas morning. They were so grateful for everything, I could only imagine how that would be the most fulfilling feeling in the world.

6: VolunTourism for You?

I would definitely consider VolunTourism. I learned a lot about their organization through this assignment. I found all of the sections interesting, some more than others. I hope I get the opportunity when I am older to travel and do things like this all the time. It would be amazing to be with someone who has the same drive and passion to help as I do because having a helping hand by your side the entire time would feel like your accomplishing double.

31 References 1 - An introduction to Chinese Culture Through the Family by Howard Giskin and Bettye S. Walsh 2 - China and Other Matters by Benjamin I Schwartz 3 Traditional China By James T.C. Liu and Wei-ming Tu 4 Understanding China By John Bryan Starr 5 - http://traveltips.usatoday.com/cultural-etiquette-china-20875.html 6- http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/03/science/earth/03parks.html 7-http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2011/09/many-national-parks-get-indianstory-wrong8711