maintaining the connection-agency and social change among returned volunteers

7/29/2019 Maintaining the Connection-Agency and Social Change Among Returned Volunteers

1/36

Maintaining the connection:agency and social changeamong returned volunteers

Michael Chew

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking newlands, but in seeing with new eyes.

- Marcel Proust


2/36

2

CONTENTS'

INTRODUCTION) 3'SECTION)1))LITERATURE)AND)PRACTICE)REVIEW) 4'

Literature(review( 4'Volunteering'and'post6volunteering'in'context' 4'Alternative'approaches'to'post6volunteering' 5'Transformational'learning' 'Liminality' 7'

Personal(Practice( 8'

SECTION)2)6)PROJECT)METHODOLOGY) 9'

Project(overview( 9'Workshop( 9'

Participants' 10'Methodology' 10'

Sections' 10'Data'collection' 10'Analytics' 11'

Assumptions' 11'

Interviews( 11'Methodology' 12'

Sections' 12'Data'collection' 13'Analytics' 13'

Assumptions' 13'

SECTION)3))KEY)FINDINGS)AND)LEARNINGS) 14'Projects' 14'Participant'reflections' 15'

General' 15'Meeting'other'returned'volunteers' 15'Hearing'stories' 1'Processes' 1'

Reflections'on'Assumptions' 17'Recollection'of'experience/ideas'generation' 17'Sharing'of'ideas'and'experience/continuing'to'act'on'ideas' 18'

Expectations'of'the'extent'of'change' 19'Structural'level' 19'Un/Certainty'level' 20'

Finding'the'best'way'to'make'change' 21'Finding'a'niche' 21'Teaching'and'Learning' 23'

Reflections'on'Assumptions' 24'Understanding'of'agency' 24'Drawings' 24'

SECTION)4)6)FUTURE)PROJECT)DIRECTIONS) 25'

Perception(of(Agency( 25'Visual'analysis' 25'Volunteer'vs.'Paid'employment' 25'

Social(actions( 25'Greater'focus'on'critical'reflection' 25'Exploration'of'communitas'amongst'returned'volunteers' 2'

CONCLUDING)REMARKS) 27'APPENDIX)A))WORKSHOP)PHOTOGRAPHIC)DOCUMENTATION) 29'APPENDIX)B))WORKSHOP)EVALUATION)SURVEY)DATA) 30'APPENDIX)C))WORKSHOP)EVALUATION)FORM) 31'APPENDIX)D))INTERVIEW)DRAWINGS)PHOTOGRAPHIC)DOCUMENTATION) 32'REFERENCES) 3'


3/36

3

Introduction

International volunteering for development (IVD) has become increasingly

widespread over the last few decades, against the backdrop of current failures

of development aid to address global patterns of poverty and inequality

(Ovaska 2003). With the proliferation of volunteering sending agencies (VSA),

there has been much debate over the role of IVD and its appropriateness for

development particularly around the tension between its premise to

contribute to development as defined locally and its potential reproduce

dominant concepts of economic growth and neo-colonialism. However there

has been little attention shown at examining the potential of the returned

volunteer to contribute meaningfully to social change back in her home

community. This paper explores self-perceptions of agency amongst returned

volunteers through two processes reflection-action workshops, and

individual interviews. These processes reveal the different ways in which the

relationship to self and world are transformed through returning home, and

suggest the importance of continued critical engagement.

This paper is the third in a series exploring self-perceptions of agency. Chew

(2010) explored the effect of transformational experiences on agency, while

Chew (2011) evaluated the use of the strategic questioning process for

agency and future visioning. The current paper focuses on the agency of the

returned volunteer, while drawing on both strategic questioning, creative

responses and group workshop setting.


4/36

4

Section 1 Literature and practice review

Literature(review(

Volunteering)and)post6volunteering)in)context)

There is a large diversity within the current IVD phenomena - Sherraden et al.

(2006) describes a typology that highlights the varied assumptions between

programs. As discussed in the research outline preceding this paper, this

diversity reflects a spectrum of ideological views regarding the nature of and

purpose of development from the dominant business as usual assumption

of development equating a continual upward escalator of economic growth, to

the more radical and emancipatory concepts of development as freedom,

social justice and/or ecological restoration (Chew, 2012). These assumptions

carry correspondingly different concepts of the volunteers role from

predominantly providing technical assistance or capacity building in the

former, to potentially broader concept in the latter such as a conduit for

mutual solidarity(Devereux, 2008). In Table 1 below, Smith (2011, p. 549)

shows some of these corresponding alignments:

The reality is more complex than fixed positioning however rather theshifting discourses of development, globalization and power continually


5/36

5

reshape this relationship. These changing configurations represent different

intersections across a fundamental tension of international volunteering,

articulated by Palacios (2010), The basic notion of volunteering as a form of

helping is both humanitarian and neo-colonial(p. 864). The fact that this

tension is difficult to reconcile should not be a condemnation of the intent of

volunteering rather an invitation to consider its operation and the imputed

subjectivities of the actors carefully.

Turning to the specific focus of post-volunteering, there is a relative

lack of literature on topic. The professionalisation of development impacts

has emphasised a skills-based approach catering to the needs and

aspirations of the individual volunteer. For example Smith (2011) suggests

that the increased amount of volunteering in the UK during the credit crunch

can be attributed to an individualised focus to escape difficult times and build

up better professional experience to face a tougher job market on return.

Moreover, besides the volunteers benefits of professional skills gained

and the cultural experience, the discourse of VSA commonly emphasises that

volunteers make a difference over there in country, staying largely silent of

the potential for change within their own communities (Lough, 2008,

Vodopivec, 2011). There is little discussion of ongoing scope for future

engagement, although a review of empirical studies highlighted an increase in

civic engagement post-volunteering (Lough, 2008).

Alternative)approaches)to)post6volunteering)

Outside of these mainstream approaches, what are the opportunities for returned

volunteers to take up different roles? Simpson concludes her critique of the

volunteer experience by calling for a pedagogy of the gap year(Simpson 2004,

p. 230), so that such experiences can become more than short term theme park

experiences...and engage directly in the possibilities and mechanisms for action

(ibid, p. 218). There is evidence that returned volunteers often do wish to

become more active post-placement (St. Vincent Pallotti Center 2005).

By looking at the different configurations of the self in relationship with

the world, broader perspectives can be gained for this post-volunteer period.


6/36

6

The experience of being an outsider trying to make change in their host

community overseas with all the attendant power-relations and colonial

history that this involves, transforms to being an outsider with a different

perspective on return to their home community. The re-integration has the

potential for a synthesis of learnings from the volunteer experience that

extends beyond that of simply vocational skills. For instance Deveraix (2008)

suggests that solidarityand mutual learningare key components of effective

development work, where returned volunteer can function as an assessable

and meaningful face of development that can help to break stereotypical and

fixed notions of an active global North and a passive global South. In this way

it can contribute to combating existing unequal power relations and deep-

seated causes of poverty, injustice, and unsustainable development.

Deveraix (2008, p. 358). Similarly Palacios (2010) suggests a reframing of

the role of the volunteer (in this case in the short term context) from providing

development aid per se, to that of intercultural learning (p. 873).

This reframing gives the potential for a shift in emphasis on the

importance of the volunteers role from centrally focused on their helping

work overseas to their responsibility to share learnings on return to their home

community.

Transformational)learning)

So far we have approached volunteering and post-volunteering from the

development perspective, which only gives limited access to discuss the more

internal or psychological components confronting making change as returned

volunteers. For this theories of transformational learning can be a useful

complement. Jack Mezirows seminal theory explored the types of learning

experiences that involved fundamental shifts in the ways that learners saw

themselves and the world around them. This theory locates the act of critical

reflection on ones lived experiences as the basis for transformative learning

(Cranton 2006). Through this critical reflection, a learner can perceive and

subsequently transform herhabits of mind the complex meaning structures

that continually filter an individuals way of seeing the world.


7/36

7

Liminality)

A perspective that focuses specifically on processes of separation and return

is that of the liminality developed most extensively by Victor Turner. Turner

took up and expanded upon Van Genneps (1960) anthropological analysis of

the tripartite phases of ritual - separation, limen, and aggregation, with the

final phase marking the return of the ritual subject to the social structure in a

new position. The liminal, or in between stage is a place of emergence of

new ways of being: It has become clear to us that liminality is not only

transition but also potentiality(Turner and Turner 1978, p. 2). Volunteer work

can be seen as a classic rite of passage, upsetting the volunteer from their

usual social structure and rules, and returning them back to that structure

transformed.

The relationship between liminality and agency provides another

counter-point to the skills-centred approach that underpins the concept of

agency of the professional-focused volunteering above. Rather than the

expanded skills providing the internal motive force for change, it is the

contextual position of the returned volunteer relative to their own society

their liminal state that provides as basis for creating change to the structure.

However this kind of agency is fleeting Either we are absorbed into the

social structure or we shun it all togetherwe cannot remain betwixt and

between(La Shure 2005, p.4).

It is the learning or absorption into different ways of being, seeing, and

thinking echoing the various frames of reference discussed in

transformational learning theory - that the volunteer experiences whilst being

away that that provides this transformation, which can expand existing

change taxonomy and concepts of self-identity. Just as Palacios (2010)

mentions above, Dalwai (2012) also calls for a reframing away from change-

based identities to that of learning-based ones for international volunteers -

To throw off the baggage of identities such as volunteer or activist, to just

be a person, a citizen, a friend, a lover, a teacher: that much is enough to

change oneself and some part of the world.Dalwai (2012, p. 24).


8/36

8

Personal(Practice(

To extend on the contextualisation of this inquiry with respect to my personal

practice offered in the research outline (Chew 2012:2-4), there are two key

points.

The first being my own assumptions about optimal role of agency for

returned volunteers based on my previous experiences co-founding the

small NGO Friends of Kolkata after volunteering in India, I privilege the

concept of agency loosely reflected in the liminal, solidarity, and mutual

learning perspectives outlined above that is after my brief but transformative

time volunteering I was sensitised to my own responsibility for working

towards positive change based on my privileged position as an Australian

witnessing local development issues that I was connected to both historically

via the dynamics of colonialism and currently via the global economic system,

both which have served the interests of my nation and culture at the expense

of the nation which I was positioned to help. In this case myself and four

other friends had been challenged by the local NGO after our self-initiated

placement regarding what would we do next to ensure that the work continued

our response was to start educational and fundraising activities in back in

Melbourne which slowly became institutionalised as Friends of Kolkata.

Through this I learnt that change or development was a long term process

with which ones personal contribution only begins with initial in-country

change work, rather than ends with it.

The second point regards my personal practice whilst conducting the

research inquiry. During this period I was not in stable paid employment, but

rather focused my energies on a several grassroots initiatives broadly in the

space of solidarity responses to change work abroad. Thus my own agency

was being directed into this space, rather than through defined work roles,

influencing my interest in looking beyond these roles for change.

Thus with respect to agency, a persons ability to make change in the world is

enmeshed in how they themselves are transformed in the process, and goes

beyond the skills and knowledge approach as predominately emphasised by

volunteer agencies. I draw from these approaches to construct processes ofengagement for returned volunteers in the next section.


9/36

9

Section 2 - Project methodology

Project(overview(

In this section, I give an overview of the projects process its methodological

context, engagement, and participants.

This project extends the strategic questioning methodology used in Chew

(2010) to include additional processes, while shifting the inquirys focus from

general self-identified change-makers to returned volunteers in particular.

Chew (2010) indicated a key limitation of the strategic questioning approach

was the lack of commitments generated toward action even though thedynamics of the process itself are crucial to the critical-dialogical form of

communication that Freire (1972) powerfully outlines. In response to this, the

current project used two separate processes for its inquiry, both with returned

volunteers as participants. The first was focussed on action a workshop to

facilitate reflection and ideas for social action. The second process focused on

critical reflection - an interview using strategic questions and other reflection

techniques to explore self-perceptions of agency as transformed through the

volunteer experience.

Key research questions

How does returned volunteers perception of agency change on their

return home?

How can returned volunteers be supported/inspired to initiative actions

that continue their change work on return home?

Workshop(

This was a collective space for participants to reconnect with what moved

them overseas, their agency to make change, and appropriate actions that

they could take to bring their ideas into the world.


10/36

10

Participants)

Two workshops were run with a combined total of 13 participants. These were

returned volunteers who were recruited through a callout across volunteer

sending agencies in Melbourne. They were predominantly in their twenties,

with some already known to me through shared involvement in the Australian

Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) program.

Methodology)

Two workshops were held of approximately 2.5 hour duration (Saturday

afternoon, Wednesday evening) to provide redundancy in the case of ill-

weather or participant availability issues.

Sections)

Introduction workshop overview and my story

Context background to workshops and context within social change

Passion reflection on participants time volunteering and what moved them,

using drawings and discussion

Actions a framework for taking action and overview of various action types

Ideas time for people to record ideas for their action

Influence mapping out peoples network of influence in their community

Refining developing and refining ideas

Next steps identifying next steps of actions and timeframes

Close

Data)collection)

Participants were sent an online form (Appendix B) with evaluation questions

regarding the workshop content, facilitation, ideas, and recommendations.

This allowed for reflection on the workshop to happen on their own time

(rather than rushed at the end of the workshop). Visual documentation was

taken on a digital camera.


11/36

11

Analytics)

The data was mainly qualitative and was coded using axial techniques.

Assumptions)

The process assumed that the participants:

- Would be able to recall their experiences overseas, and generate or

develop ideas emerging from these experiences in a straightforward

manner.

- Would be comfortable sharing their ideas and experiences, and would

be interested in continuing to act on their ideas.

Interviews(

The interviews explored participants self-perceptions of agency in the context

of returning home from volunteering overseas. Following the notion of the

liminal above, the volunteer process can be seen longitudinally as a collection

of stages. Using a modified approach of Atlas (2007), four stages were

chosen Pre-trip, Trip, Post-trip and Now. Each stage presented an

opportunity for the participant to reflect on their agency at this time.

Although the participants were guided through a staged process, the

discussions that took place were free-ranging across the stages and were

conceptually drawn from the strategic questioning process explored in Chew

(2011). This strategic questioning approach was developed by Fran Peavey,

who saw it as representing communication of the second kind (Peavey

1997, p. 2), in which the participant is supported through dialogue to find their

own answers within a realm of possibilities which they already inhabit, rather

than fulfilling the correct external response.


12/36

12

Participants

Several factors influenced the choice of participants for the interviews.

a) Demographics. The majority of international volunteers tend to be

young, with a growing number of retirees. They also tended to be

middle class, being able to take time off work or study (Trewby, 2007).

The interviewees tended to match this background, being in their late

20s or early 30s, and largely tertiary educated middle class.

b) Social)connection. Initially a large-scale call-out was attempted to recruit

volunteers, however there were insufficient interest and participants

were eventually selected from workshop participants and returned

volunteers already known to me. Having an existing relationship was

useful in terms of building rapport and encouraging straightforward

disclosure, while at the same time it limited the diversity of participants

and hence wider applicability of results.

Methodology)

Five interviews of 1.5-2hr duration were conducted.

Sections)

1. Introduction background to the inquiry, overview of the process

2. Agency clarification of the definition of agency used here

3. Setting the scene short visualisation of the four stages

4. Drawing drawings out the four stages with respect to reflections on theirfeelings and thoughts of personal agency

5. Discussion informal discussion around each of the four stages


13/36

13

Data)collection)

Detailed notes were taken in real-time during the interview on a laptop.

The participants four A4 crayon drawings were collected at the conclusion of

the session.

Analytics)

The notes were coded axially. My own perceptions of the interview - recorded

at the conclusion in the same file were also taken into consideration.

Assumptions)

The process assumed that the participants:

- Could understand and reflect on the question of agency

- Were comfortable with using drawings and visualisations as reflection

processes


14/36

14

Section 3 Key findings and learnings

In this section, I present the analysis of the data collected from the interviews

and workshops, and sketch out key themes that emerge. The participantsnames have been changed in this report.

Workshops((

Projects)

Approximately two-thirds of the participants listed specific projects that they

focused on during the workshops:

Staying connected with Timor

Raising Money for the Future of the Kids

Children's book based on orphanage

Sale of eco-pads

Support Green Gecko Cambodia

Support the work of BKS & BKF in Bangladesh

Participants answered a range of other prompts designed to focus their

thinking about the project:

80% could list specific people or organisations who could get the idea

started

60% could identify a first project step and date in doing this

40% could set a specific date for running the project

30% could identify specific information needed to start the action

Although it cannot be determined with certainty that it was the workshop

intervention which lead to these action formations, the prompts above and

other evaluations discussed below suggest that the action planning processes

were very important to the development of these project ideas. The decline in

responses to specific prompts suggests that there is still further work in

improving the processes.


15/36

15

Participant)reflections)

General)

The participants found the workshops to be very satisfying in key areas:

Area Rank out of 10

Venue 8.4

Overall 8.2

Content 7.9

Facilitation 8.1

Improvements were mainly in the area of slowing down the workshop:

Improvements %

More time 67%

More on ideas

development22%

More on group discussion 11%

Other 33%

A key learning here is the importance of not rushing the workshop although

all the processes are important in themselves, their capacity to shift

participants declines if rushed. A longer workshop duration would definitely

be an improvement in this regard.

Meeting)other)returned)volunteers)Close to half of the participants cited meeting other returned volunteers as a

positive. Just to interact with other people who had been through similar

experiences was important. Participants also identified this as specifically

important with respect to developing ideas for action:

Gaining motivation from other like-minded inspirational people to continue with ideas I have

For me, I think that the social glue is the most important thing to get commitment and a

start.


16/36

16

This experience can be examined through the concept ofcommunitas, which

Turner describes in the ritual context as the spontaneous bonding and co-

recognition with people who have gone through similar transformative

experiences, perception of unmediated encounters with other individuals

also momentarily stripped of their social status (Shields 1991, p. 89). The

situation is far from the ritualistic pure state of communitas that Turner

develops the term with a wide range of volunteering places, duration, and

time since return amongst the volunteers. (See Appendix C for full data).

Nonetheless there is still sufficient shared experience to find a positive

influence on ideas for taking action.

Hearing)stories)

Over half of the participants reported hearing other volunteers stories as being

important. Interestingly no one listed sharing their own stories as being so.

I really liked listening to other participants stories, they were inspiring and motivating.

Everyone had such diverse experiences.

Good to meet people and hear their stories.

Hearing others stories and ideas could have served to reinforce the sense of

communitas, bringing back memories of their shared past, and re-invoking the

a sense of liminal identity. It is unclear to what extent this liminal identity has

a relationship with agency however. One possibility is that the revisited sense

of being an outsider enables fresh views and bold ideas that would haveotherwise been more elusive within their previous social position.

Processes)

The largest positive responses recorded 2/3 of participants - were for the

workshops processes themselves. These involved the stages of reflection,

personal influence and action planning.

)


17/36

17

Participants generally liked the variety of tasks and the progression between

them:

The activities- drawing our experiences, the web of people in our life, and writing our goals.

It flowed very well. All tasks were relevant.

It was very well structured, very useful slides and inspiring videos.

The responses validate the assertion that specific pedagogical structures are

needed to enable critical reflection amongst returned volunteers (Trewby,

2007).

However merely creating the condition for the sharing of stories only

may not be sufficient for instance to fulfil the proposition ofsolidaritythat

Dereveux (2010) describes, volunteers experiences and attitudes should be

genuinely acknowledging of global disparities in needs. Simpson (2005a)

warns that the volunteer experience may not necessarily lead to effective

cross-cultural learning in fact it may in fact accentuate deep-seated

attitudes (p. 462), while the UKs Development Education Association

suggest that without proper critical analysis there is a risk that volunteers

propagate misconceptions, stereotypes and a narrow understanding of poverty

and inequality(Edgerton, as cited in Trewby 2007, p. 39).Fortunately during discussion at the workshops participants seem to show

a relatively well-developed understanding of these issues. There were only one

or two moments where a participant brought up understandings of North-

South relationships that appeared to be uncritically reinforcing hierarchical

relationships. Nevertheless this reinforces the importance of critical

pedagogical structures that can accommodate and engage with a wide range

of views in a compressed timeframe.

Reflections)on)Assumptions)

The workshops confirmed the underlying assumptions to varying degrees.

Recollection)of)experience/ideas)generation))

Generally the drawings and reflections prompted adequate recollection of the

experiences good enough for conversation and basic ideas generation


18/36

18

two thirds of participants had specific ideas. However the latter proportions did

reduce when encountering the more specific questions about their ideas,

listed above, suggesting as above that these parts may have been rushed

and a proper engagement would need more time. For full details see

Appendix C.

Sharing)of)ideas)and)experience/continuing)to)act)on)ideas))

Generally participants were comfortable sharing their experiences, with

slightly less regarding their ideas. These factors correlate strongly with

rapport building, which suggests again for the benefit of a longer workshop.


19/36

19

Interviews(

(

After analysis the interview responses clustered around a number of themes

that reflected the transformations in the participants understanding of their

agency to make positive change through their volunteering journey.

Expectations)of)the)extent)of)change)

Generally the participants expectations of the extent of their agency post-

volunteer experience were reduced with unrealistic expectations shifting

towards more realistic ones:

My horizon of possibility is expanded now from being by myself to being with other

people and from very high expectations about the amount of change I can achieve, to

being more modest (Imogen)

I have had to adapt my own beliefs about change, stepping back, re-modeling it... I had

delusions of how quickly I would change things (Eve)

Two subthemes emerged from this:

Structural)level)

Transformations in agency recurred on the structural level indicating the often

uneasy balance between grassroots change and being involved in larger

organisations. For instance Mike indicated the following through discussion of

his fish drawings:

While working in government my role was clearly defined. I could become a bigger tin on

conveyer belt, but would still be going in the same direction. In Thailand I was a bigger fish

in a smaller pool, but more variety of fish, different blurred lines of interactions between

them all On return as a community legal I experienced great adaptability coal-face

delivery is great, while part of my role is systemic agency, a difficult space so I try to

focus on a smaller sphere of influence this renews me.

In simplistic terms, Mike shifts from large scale/high structure/low-agency in

government, to medium-scale/low-structure/medium-agency in his volunteer

work in Thailand, then to find a small-scale/medium-structure/high-agency


20/36

20

context in his community legal role on return home. Exploring through a

liminal lens, Mike as a Thailand volunteer occupied a liminal space,

experiencing and enacting agency through diverse, relatively undifferentiated

interactions, whilst remaining the outsider. On return he was able to re-

integrate into a smaller structure, being nourished by this tighter focus, yet still

challenged by the wider scope for advocacy that could be seen as some kind

of continuation from the previous liminal state.

Eves experience sheds light on the post-colonial aspect of identity as an

outsider across various spaces of development practice:

I found I had an ability to get down to the local level even as foreigner I saw other

foreigners who were more uncomfortable with it but there was a fine line balancing this

with the powers to be (eg getting an appointment with the Finance Minister.. After getting

back there was lots of meetings [about East Timor projects] but no action I was with big

important people, but it was like I was just someone who has been to ET, with local

knowledge, which seemed not to fit in with them a disjunction.

Over in East Timor, Eve experiences the contradictory nature of her identity

as a white volunteer who attempts to create change by using her foreigner

status to engage with local structures of power, while at the same time tries to

shed the outside status by getting down to the local level. As Baillie Smith

(2011, p. 554) writes, international volunteers are afforded a type of global

citizenship in which the global South then provide and demarcate a space in

which such citizenships can be practised. This global citizenship extends to

allow her to participate in high-level development meetings on her return

home, but it is precisely in such spaces where she finds that her local

knowledge is not actually recognised, even as it superficially marks her as a

worthy participant in the continuation of doing development.

Un/Certainty)level)

For participants the balance between certainty and uncertainty was another

central motif:

!!


21/36

21

In Thailand there was lots of uncertainty over the projectI was joint project leaderwas

given lots of responsibility in some areas, but not much in others. [the return] colours lots

of colours, multiple options, bursting out too many possibilities when I got my job I noticed

[my] resilience and adaptability.. (Mike)

There were lots of external influences I couldnt control in Timor... eventually I discovered

more what needed to be done, beneath the surface.. Back home my horizon of possibilities

expanded massively doubled my career pathways(Eve)

Both participants found that their volunteer experience gave them a greater

level of adaptability to situations out of their control. This is consistence with

Mezirows transformational learning theory, which emphasises the increased

broadmindedness of learners to different viewpoints after undergoing critical

reflection (Cranton, 2006). By reflecting on their unexamined assumptions

(such as the weight of importance to external circumstance, the belief that I

need to be in control to make a difference, and so forth), the volunteers can

come to see beyond them and hence have the flexibility to see new

approaches previously invisible to them.

Finding)the)best)way)to)make)change)

The second main theme to emerge was regarding how participants

negotiated the shifting priorities regarding what they saw as the optimal ways

of making change. This was manifested in two subthemes.

Finding)a)niche)

With the exception of Eve, the four other participants expressed a greater

specificity around the direction of their change-making activity on return home,

after a transitional period

It was a huge transformation for me to find the niche of community accountability in

Bangladesh Having done diverse work in previous contexts, Im able to apply a broad

base of personal assets to the work it wasnt a corresponding huge jump in skills to go

along with it, more incremental shift.(Kate)


22/36

22

When I came back to Australia I was very clear about how to make a difference in India I

was doing yoga and worked with refugees so between the two was a perfect marriage of

yoga as a holistic way of life, a precious gift to give refugees.(Claire)

But how many things can I actually do? I should focus, but I want to have cake and eat ittoo! (Eve)

On one hand this supports stage theorists such as Adler (1981), who tend to

view the overseas experience a sequential stages, where corresponding

emotional adjustment can lead to vocational integration and focus. Adler and

Purch suggest that the returned volunteer lies on an active/passive spectrum

with respect to changing their surroundings vs. changing themselves to

integrate back into their surroundings (Adler and Purch, as cited in

Szkudlarek 2010, p. 5). Agency here then returns to its assumptions

discussed in Part 1 with the professionalisation assumption implying that

integration to match an existing employment pathway within the volunteers

interest would be the most focused way of making change.

In contrast, by taking Adlers alternative assumption regarding

changing their surrounding, we arrive at a different reading. For instance with

Claires focus of yoga with refugees is accompanied with a strong

ambivalence towards integrating the volunteer vs. paid aspects of her change

work:

Making money through doing the yoga didnt feel right, it seems better having the day job at

world vision, then being able serve those who really need it outside - its tension point, you

can lose your passion for it if your doing it for a living

This highlights the importance of taking a broader assumption of agencybeyond of professionalisation. Mike also reflects on this tension point:

Previously I was doing some volunteer tutoring, and at the CLC, but now I have much less

time and energy the main job is so consuming

This reflects the professionalisation of social change that operates with the

same assumptions to that of the professionalisation of volunteering in Section

1 that social change work is best done within the efficient and sustainable


23/36

23

structures of the workplace. Other studies (Lange, 2004) collaborative this

empirically, arguing that it is this belief that so significantly undercuts civic

action in social movements or other areas of in civil society (p. 136). The

professionalisation assumption often represents a narrowing of the horizons

of change even though professionals in these areas may commonly hold

more radical ideas than are permitted within the constraints of their role, the

squeezing of all forms of social change to this schema risks perpetuating

unexamined habits of mind that are associated with the professional context

(importance of funding, stability of stakeholders and so forth).

Teaching)and)Learning)

Another theme was the importance of broad assumptions around teaching

and learning:

I feel very strong feelings of agency around development now. Need to keep building my

skills in this area, working with people who are very skilledis my part in making change

(Imogen)

[Thailand] supporting a colleague to gain experience and go onto talk at UN conference..

seeing her build skills and experience

[Current job] Feel like I can use the community legal skills I learnt in Thailand with the

current role its a very two way process - learning from the inmates through their real

experiences just like over there. (Mike)

Im, a more effective educator with experience across local, national, global spectrum

now Im trying not to be overwhelmed by the enormity of change I feel more

responsible for making change to use my experience in a positive way. Feel a

responsibility to create the responsibility in others. (Eve)

Here we see multiple strands of the relationship between teaching and

learning and agency. For Imogen the learning is a part of her professional

development and she experiences this through an incremental mentorship

approach. Mike locates the learning and teaching as a concurrent process

he brings this dynamic from his volunteer experience into his current work, a

process that connects with Deverauxs (2008) focus on the importance of

mutual learning for understanding. Eve is able to integrate her overseas

learning of social change to bring a broader perspective into her small group


24/36

24

environmental education work, providing in a Freirean perspective an

enlarged space for critical discussion that has the potential for expanded

actions.

Reflections)on)Assumptions)

The interviews largely confirmed the underlying assumptions.

Understanding)of)agency)

With the understanding of the question of agency, this was largely established

through the definition at the beginning of the interview. There was a tension

point between elaborating a more detailed definition vs. keeping it broader

this followed an intuitive feel of how the interview was going.)

)

Drawings)

A)full)analysis)of)the)drawings)is)beyond)the)scope)of)this)inquiry.))However)it)should)

be)noted)that)almost)all)the)participants)were)positive)about)them)as)a)process,)

although)some)experienced)minor)barriers.)))

)

The drawings and visualisations were good as talking points, I did have some barriers

around the drawings though. (Mike)

Doping the drawings I got a bit sidetracked, remembering all the little details but it was

good to jog the memory. (Eve)

The drawing process allowed me to show how each of these experiences have helped me

get to being where I am now. (Claire))

A)discussion)regarding)the)potential)and)the)barriers)to)such)use)of)creative)

techniques)in)social)change)planning)can)be)found)in)Chew)(2010,)and)for)reflection)

in)Atlas)(2007.))Through)the)lens)of)transformational)learning)theory,)this)use)of)the)

drawings)can)be)seen)as)an)enabler)for)critical)reflection,)providing)an)opportunity)

for)a)nonOrational)form)of)reflection))an)approach)that)Dirkx)et)al.)(2006)suggests)

that)has)the)potential)to)reach)the)learner)on)a)deeper)level)than)rational)forms.)


25/36

25

Section 4 - Future Project Directions

This inquiry has only been the first tentative steps in the direction of exploring

returned volunteers agency and capacity to take social change initiatives.

There are many different directions that subsequent inquiries could take in

both these areas.

Perception(of(Agency(

Visual)analysis)

This paper has used the drawings as an engagement and reflection process

for the participants narratives. However a detailed visual analysis of the

drawings may have the potential for a deeper analysis which may touch on

the unconscious. Atlas (2007) provides an outline of such analysis with

respect to art therapy.

Volunteer)vs.)Paid)employment

This theme was touched on briefly in the above discussion, however further

work is needed around this key issue. This could be achieved through

developing more specific questions, as well as doing a longitudinal analysis to

look the relationship between time back home, paid employment and

attitudes.

Social(actions(

Greater focus on critical reflection

As identified above, there is the risk that un-examined assumptions regarding

North-South relations could be re-inscribed during the workshop processes.

A greater emphasis on Freirean critical dialogue as part of the process would

deepen the understandings. This could be guided by Trewbys (2007)foundation.


26/36

26

Exploration)of)communitas)amongst)returned)volunteers)

One unexpected action that emerged from the workshops was organising of

an informal returned volunteers drink night. Attendance was small but the

idea was powerful to create spaces for the communitas the spontaneous

bonding between members of the yet-to-be-fully-integrated group.

Discussion of this has proved to be outside the scope of this paper, however it

remains an important area to facilitate and research, given its potential in

sustaining social change and identity transformation.


27/36

27

Concluding Remarks

This paper set out to explore the experience of the returned international

volunteer, after sketching out a brief theoretical background that

problematised the discourse of volunteer sending agencies. The latters

assumptions for agency and social change often tend to be narrow the

former reinforcing concepts of a heroic individual volunteer making change in

country, and the latter showing professionalism as main basis for change, with

the improved vocational skills of the volunteer being the key driver for change.

In response, the paper specifically explored two questions firstly regarding

the transformation of returned volunteers agency, and secondarily the extent

to which they can be supported to undertake social actions on return home.

These questions involved different experimental processes.

With respect to the perceptions of agency, explored through individual

interviews accompanied by reflection activities, it was predictably found to be

highly subjective with a large variability of perspectives, reflecting a large

variation in key influences length of time away, length of time back, strength

of existing change assumptions, level of agency accorded during the

volunteer work, and so forth. Nonetheless there have been several key

patterns that have emerged. Firstly expectations around the extent of

participants agency were generally adjusted to be more realistic a

subjective description which often meant scaled-back, to more fully fit the

persons interests or abilities. This was found to have occurred on either of

two levels; the structural (adjusting to fit change into a more sustainable

structure), or regarding the un/certainty level (being able to realise their

agency in less predictable situations arising from greater adaptability).

A second, closely related theme coalesced around finding the optimal way of

realising their agency and making change. Several participants found that

they were able to find professional roles that suited their interests and abilities

on return, where they could feel confident of making meaningful change.

Others were still on a journey exploring the best ways for change-making, that

highlighted the tensions between change expressed in the structure of a paidposition vs. the openness of developing what works yourself. Finally, most


28/36

28

participants had developed an appreciation of the importance of the continual

dynamic of teaching-learning from their overseas work, which they were able

to bring into their current change work back home.

A workshop format was used to explore the second question regarding

the potential for supporting social change actions. A range of activities

encompassing creative reflection, dialogue, visualization, and action planning

largely succeeded in supporting participants to develop and communicate

their ideas for social action. There was however some difficulty in participants

responding to more specific prompts which suggests that further refinements

are necessary, such as extending the workshop duration. Besides these

structured processes, the opportunity to meet with and hear stories from other

returned volunteers were both specifically identified as the key strong points

of the workshops.

The interviews and the workshops both approached the question of

agency for social change in two different ways the former by internal

perceptions and the latter by external actions. By separating out both

inquiries, the project as able to explore deeper into each from these

contrasting perspectives. The workshops were tailored towards social change

from outside formal employment, whereas many of the interviewers saw their

roles as the locus for agency. These seemingly divergent results underscore

the conclusion that social change is at its core a messy and at times

contradictory process especially in the context of development work with its

deeply checkered history. International volunteers cannot escape the

asymmetrical power relations that are part of this history and which are

always present through change work. On their return home it is thus crucial

for volunteers to participate in some kind of critical or creative reflection on

their experiences to give the best chance that their next steps forward can

help to maintain their change work with mutual understanding and solidarity

with the communities they have left. I hope that the processes in this paper

have been a small step forward in this direction.


29/36

29

Appendix A Workshop photographic documentation


30/36

30

Appendix B Workshop evaluation survey data

What I liked %

meeting other volunteers 44%

hearing stories 56%

activities 67%

personal reflection 22%

ideas for action 56%

other 22%

What I didnt like %

Timing - too shart 33%

Content - too much 22%

Other 44%

Improvements %

More time 67%

More on ideasdevelopment

22%

More on group discussion 11%

Other 33%

Volunteer location

Asia 56%

Africa 11%

Pacific 22%

Other 11%

Durationvolunteering?

%Back forhow long? %

1y 33% 1y 67%2 months 56% 5 months 33%Other 11% Other 0%Evaluation Rank out of 10

Venue 8.4

Overall 8.2Content 7.9

Facilitation 8.1

Prompt Total

Who could help you get the idea started? 78%

Interest for interview? 44%

What is your first step? 56%

Specific info needed 33%

Date to do by 44%

Other ideas for helping returned

volunteers? 78%


31/36

31

Appendix C Workshop evaluation form


32/36

32

Appendix D Interview drawings photographicdocumentation

Mike'

''Imogen'

'''


33/36

33

Eve'

''Kate'

''

'

'

'

'

'

''


34/36

34

'Claire!!


35/36

35

References

Adler, N. (1981). Re-entry: Managing cross-cultural transitions. Group andOrganization Studies,6(3), 341-356.

Atlas, M. (2007), Homeward Bound: Using art therapy to explore the experience ofinternational volunteer re-entry. Unpublished MAT thesis, La Trobe University.

Baillie Smith, M., & Laurie, N. (2011). International volunteering and development:Global citizenship and neoliberal professionalisation today. Transactions of theInstitute of British Geographers, 36(4), 545-559.

Chew, M. (2010), Changing the world: a case study of transformation, agency andsocial change, unpublished research project for MEd, University of Western Sydney

Chew, M. (2011), Strategic questioning, agency and reflection:a project report, unpublished research project for MEd, University of Western Sydney

Clost, E. (2011). Voluntourism: The visual economy of international volunteerprograms. Unpublished MA thesis, Queens University.

Cranton, P. (2006), Understanding & promoting transformative learning, JosseyBass, San Francisco.

Dalwai, S., & Donegan, B. (2012). From travellers to activist global citizens?

Practitioner reflections on an activist/volunteer tourist project. Journal of TourismConsumption and Practice Volume, 4(1).

Devereux, P. (2008), International volunteering for development and sustainability:outdated paternalism or a radical response to globalisation?, Development inPractice, 18(3), 357-370.

De Vaus, D. (2004). Structured questionnaires and interviews. In V. Minichiello, G.Sullivan, K. Greenwood & R. Axford (Eds.), Handbook of research methods fornursing and health science (2nd ed., pp. 347-392). Sydney: Pearson EducationAustralia.

Dirkx, J., Mezirow, J. & Cranton, P. (2006). Musings and Reflections on the Meaning,Context, and Process of Transformative Learning: A Dialogue Between John M.Dirkx and Jack Mezirow. Journal of Transformative Education4, 123.

Edgerton, J. (2007). Development Education Association response to DFID YouthVolunteering Consultation. Unpublished DEA document.

Freire, P. (1972), Pedagogy of the oppressed, Penguin, London.

Jorgenson, S. R. (2009). Using international volunteer experiences to educate

university students for global citizenship. University of Alberta.


36/36

La Shure, C. (2005, October 4). What is Liminality? Retrieved October 16th

2012from http://www.liminality.org/about/whatisliminality/

Lange, E. A. (2004). Transformative and restorative learning: A vital dialectic forsustainable societies.Adult Education Quarterly, 54(2), 121-139.

Lough, B. J.. (2008). Impacts of International Volunteering and Service. UnpublishedPhD thesis, Washington University.

Palacios, C. M. (2010). Volunteer tourism, development and education in apostcolonial world: conceiving global connections beyond aid. Journal of sustainabletourism, 18(7), 861-878.

Peavey, F & Hutchinson, V. (1997), Strategic Questioning: An approach to creatingpersonal and social change, retrieved October 14

th 2012 from

Pusch, M. D. (1998). In D. Lynch, A. Pilbeam, & P. OConnor (Eds.), Going home:Styles of reentry. Heritage and Progress, proceedings from SIETAR-Europaconference.

Shields, R. (1991). Places on the Margin: Alternative geographies of modernityLondon: Routledge

Storti, C. (1997). Re-entry: what is it?. In: Peace Corps Odyssey: The voyage home,Peace Corps Returned Volunteer Services, Office of Domestic Programs.

Szkudlarek, B. (2010). ReentryA review of the literature. International Journal ofIntercultural Relations, 34(1), 1-21.

Trewby, J. (2007). A Pedagogy of the Gap Year: Using a follow-up programme tostimulate ongoing involvement in campaigning and development education.Unpublished MA thesis, University of Reading.

Tennant, M. (2005). Transforming Selves. Journal of Transformative Education 3(2).102 - 115.

Vodopivec, B., & Jaffe, R. (2011). Save the world in a week: Volunteer tourism,development and difference. European Journal of Development Research, 23(1),111-128.

maintaining the connection-agency and social change among returned volunteers

Documents