Michael Wearing

Understanding local power and interactional processes in sustainable tourism: exploring village–tour operator relations on the Kokoda Track, Papua New Guinea

This paper explores the power relations in and between local villages and outside tourism operators on the Kokoda Track, Papua New Guinea (PNG). The analysis of power focuses on the contingencies of agency in the interactional order allowing greater participatory approaches to sustainable tourism. The notion of power applied in this case study is derived from Michel Foucaults concept of power relations. It is argued that local power and ensuing interactions are neither a zero sum gain or over-determined structurally, but a symbiotic process. By applying Foucaults concepts to the preparation of the Ecotrekking Strategy developed by the villages on the Kokoda Track, we illustrate how power is exercised through dominance, negotiation, rationalities and resistance, all of which are interwoven into day-to-day social interactions between tourism operators and local villages. The paper concludes with a discussion on the implications of this analysis for sustainable tourism development.

Decommodifying Ecotourism: rethinking global-local interactions with host Communities

Abstract This article examines the implications of a decommodifying thesis for the global-local politics of host communities and ecotourism, and the future of this form of tourism in Australia and elsewhere. Decommodified social policy is usually accessible to all and places social objectives and human rights such as the right to work or to a decent standard of living over that of economic value and ends. The commodified/decommodified distinction can also be applied to the development of ecotourism. Commodifying processes occur where the final outcome is defined as the economic use-value of the product. Current directions in ecotourism are towards the commodification of nature in the search for global profits and the tourist dollar in capitalist economies. We argue that the negative impacts of such a trajectory on host communities require decommodifying actions towards ecological sustainable tourism. In place of the almost exclusive pursuit of industry profits, ecotourism needs to place social value on lo...

Do Australians want the welfare state

Abstract The failures of the Australian welfare state are often implicitly argued to derive in large part from the conservatism of the Australian public. This research uses public opinion poll data from 1940 to 1985 to question some of the claims made about public opinion and Australian welfare. These data indicate that post‐World War Two governments were not the captives of public opposition to expanded welfare provision. The public favoured generous, universal and contributory welfare provision in specific areas where the policies of successive Australian governments favoured selective, illiberal welfare measures funded by taxation. Moreover, public support for government health schemes suggests that welfare programmes generate public support rather than result from it. This evidence suggests that explanations for the conservatism of the Australian welfare state lie elsewhere.

Consumer culture, the mobilisation of the narcissistic self and adolescent deviant leisure

The purpose of this analysis is to investigate the consumer packaging of adolescent deviance through commodified leisure. It argues that under conditions of neoliberalism, deviant leisure is commodified by industry, emptying deviance of its political potential, selling it back to adolescents in the form of narcissistic self-identities. These self-identities appear to challenge authority, albeit produced within youth culture and marketing, purchased and consumed in the belief that it is resistance. Forms of adolescent deviance and narcissism are normalised as challenging, exciting and risky while providing associations with power, wealth, celebrity and physical beauty. In the final analysis, we explore some possibilities for the resistance of market-based constructions of self-identity for adolescents in western consumer cultures.

Organisational Change in Non-Profit Human Services: Reflections on a Collaborative Action Research Approach to Working with Child, Youth, and Family Organisations

The key example of action research in this chapter was undertaken by the authors from 2001 to 2003 in a large New South Wales non-profit organisation, UnitingCare Burnside, a child welfare agency auspiced by The Uniting Church in Australia. This chapter is a reflection on the action research project with Burnside and addresses the “lessons learned” from small-scale action research projects that aim to initiate organisational change. We have chosen to write a reflection on this study as a way to illustrate to others the viability and limitations of working in a collaborative way with human service organisations with small-scale qualitative studies of their practice and programmes.

Why Are Poor Children Always with Us? Theory, Ideology and Policy for Understanding Child Poverty

This chapter will outline conceptual thinking around formal theories of poverty in the social sciences that rely upon international and national measures of poverty and upon public perception through ideological positions on poverty. These explanations also assume certain cause-effect notions of the main factors that create poverty, and by association inequality. For heuristic purposes a coalescence of theory and ideology can be divided into six schools of thought. Poverty as behaviour associated with conservative ideology that tends to blame poor people for their plight. Poverty as the deprivation of certain basic social wants such as shelter or social rights of citizenship such as work, a decent standard of living, housing rights and so on. Poverty as inequality that argues we cannot discuss poverty without looking at the root cause in social and economic inequality. Poverty as culture where it is seen as a way of life that involves supposedly attitudes of indifference, alienation, apathy, lack of incentives and self-respect. Poverty as exploitation taken from political economy traditions that see poverty as a form of exploitation in a society whereby those most in need get the least. Finally a broad school of thought that sees poverty as structure and studies the institutional and structural components of society that foster and help explain poverty’s continuation is discussed. We also consider policies, programs and interventions that have been targeted to redress poverty that are underpinned by these perspectives.

The Experiential Bond

The existential philosopher Martin Buber clearly distinguished a concern for inclusivity with others from “the not very significant term empathy” as concrete and grounded in two-way communication. He understood in a more complete way that “empathy” is merely gesturing to the point of view of the other, whereas inclusive relationships are more living “within”, between and with the other.

Domestic Violence Working with Men: Research, Practice Experience and Integrated Responses

behaviours, and competencies are more suited to collaboration. It notes there are still powerful motivators for developing agency fiefdoms and using more directive (less collaborative) management—the power in organisational hierarchy, guarding access to people and resources, and the legitimacy that flows from professional disciplinary expertise. Chapter 8 considers what should be done. In too many collaborative ventures, the assumption has been that if you get the structures, policies, and formal mechanisms in place, practice will follow. It suggests that when addressing service delivery failures, government may be more inclined to “reach for the structural toolkit” (p. 23) of central mechanisms and organisational arrangements rather than pay attention to what is required for practitioners to collaborate—even though many evaluations have found that it is key individuals who play a pivotal role in making collaborative policies or structures “work”. Collaboration takes time and skill, and the books discussion of the competencies required provides a useful guide to training and development needs. This is a small book, easy to read, with lots in it. It draws from the authors own research and contains interesting examples from field research. Yet it is not uncritical of the collaboration endeavour. It reminds that the case for collaboration, and its benefits, is sometimes overstated. Collaboration may lead to confusion and lack of clarity about who is responsible. Exhortations to collaborate may be motivated by a desire to break down autonomy or undermine professional roles. And not all service delivery problems will be solved through collaboration. Sometimes it is best to get your own house in order, at other times the real problem is a lack of resources that cannot be solved through joint effort. The book will be of interest to social workers in direct practice, policy, and management roles, because of its focus on individual agency, not just structures and macro process. It is practical and thought-provoking for those designing and delivering services in collaboration with others. And who isn’t?

Book Review: Constructing Global Culture: International Non-governmental Organisations Since 1875

into the world system’ (p. 81). Chapter five gives an introduction to analytical tools for child impact assessment, with the authors examining some existing projects in South Africa, Norway and the UK. The book disappoints in a number of respects. In many cases the analysis is somewhat shallow, and giving children a voice seems to be more for illustrative purposes rather than being a systematic inclusion. One question in particular remains unanswered: Why are children focused upon? Is it not much more interesting to shift first and foremost the economic analysis away from a simple profit-orientation and favour a social quality approach? Only then might it make some sense at a later stage to concentrate on specific groups. This is especially a problem because today children are – almost by definition – dependants. Nevertheless, it is surely a merit that the book makes the reader aware of the social implications of economic policies, and their implications for day-to-day life. Recommendations at the end of individual chapters and the book as a whole provide access to the issues in question, the glossary and an appendix – listing budget lines and EU trade agreements – also make the book a helpful instrument for the political practice of all those who work in favour of children. Peter Herrmann Lecturer, University College Cork, Ireland and Director of the Independent Research Institute European Social, Organisational and Science Consultancy (ESOSC)