Entanglements in multispecies voluntourism: conservation and Utila's affect economy

Abstract

Through a case study of conservation voluntourism this article brings together critical political ecology, multispecies ethnography, and studies of humanitarian tourism to advance a political ecology of multispecies conservation voluntourism. The article presents multispecies conservation voluntourism as a field that produces and is produced by an “affect economy”, or an economy based on the exchange or trade in the relational. Since the mid-1990s, life on Utila, Honduras, a popular discount backpacker scuba destination located along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, has been deeply transformed by the growth of dive tourism, the ecological destruction it has produced, and now the conservation voluntourism industry emerging in its wake. Seventy percent of Utila is comprised of mangroves and associated wetlands, home to several endangered and endemic species. Using examples of whale shark tourism, lionfish hunts, and iguana tracking, this article shows how conservation organizations operate as affect generators, enabling the privilege of engaging in multispecies encounters. Engaging in multispecies conservation voluntourism produces value in the form of cultural capital which is then exchanged for material outcomes by volunteers in the global economy; at the same time, this form of voluntourism obscures local relationships to nature and alters multispecies assemblages from past configurations.     

Uncertainty,story-telling and transformative learning: An instructor’s experience of TEFI’s Walking Workshop in Nepal

ABSTRACT

This article recounts three stories from TEFI’s walking workshop in Nepal: the construction of a road through what was once a trekking path; a dance-floor encounter at a Himalayan party; and the arrival of one participant, fatigued by jet lag and disoriented by the new surroundings. These stories of confusion, discomfort and fear are linked by one common theme: the potential of uncertainty to foster deep reflection and nuanced conclusions. The premise that uncertainty is to be valued and even cultivated has been explored in educational theory, spiritual traditions, and research on transformative learning. These sources affirm the role of uncertainty in the process of knowledge creation. However, accepting this role can be challenging for educators because it requires they assume a new identity, one which they may perceive as being at odds with their status as “teacher” the identity of learner. One way for the educator to address this challenge may be through recounting their own stories of uncertainty. Stories of being immersed in unfamiliar situations that challenge, confuse and even frighten – stories, in other words of being a tourist – can foster reflection on an intellectual, emotional and spiritual level, engaging the “whole” person, and thus initiating the educator/learner’s transformative journey.     

电网企业产权制度改革研究

目前,电网企业产权单一,阻碍了电网企业现代企业制度的建立,文中重点就电网企业产权制度模式的选择及其理论依据,以及实现电网企业产权多元化的相关对策和方法进行了讨论。     

"红色管理"探析

"红色管理"是对中国共产党的管理理论、管理思想和管理方法的总结.在现代社会有许多组织独具慧眼,兴起了向中国共产党学习"红色管理"的浪潮.与此同时,"红色管理"理论体系也开始构建."红色管理"在现代社会的盛行有其独特的原因,它是中国管理现状发展的必然选择.但在借鉴"红色管理"的过程中应深刻领会和把握"红色管理"内涵,应紧密联系自身实际借鉴"红色管理",还应面向未来借鉴"红色管理".     

充分利用上市公司资源 促进国有企业改革

控股母公司对上市公司的不断注资扩股，在壮大上市公司实力的同时，实现自身整体股份化的过程，这为有母公司背景的上市公司的发展和控股母公司股份制改革提供了一种全新的发展模式。对这种模式探讨具有一定的代表性，对于这类公司来说，通过这种模式实现资本扩张，将是一条低成本、高效益、规范化、确实值得探索的国企改革之路。     

陕西旅游商品市场问题探析与对策研究

发展旅游商品对提高区域旅游经济效益具有重要作用。但在陕西旅游产业体系中,购物始终是一个明显的弱项,这制约了陕西旅游经济的持续增长。在系统分析陕西旅游商品市场现存问题的基础上,提出发展陕西旅游商品市场的若干对策。     

第三方物流企业内部控制要素的建立策略

第三方物流企业作为一种新型行业，企业的发展已越来越受到企业内部控制薄弱瓶颈的制约．借鉴企业内部控制理论最新成果——企业风险管理框架（ERM）八要素理论建立和完善第三方物流企业内部控制，对该行业做优做强有着深刻的现实意义。     

以企业再造思想振兴东北老工业基地

从企业再造理论产生的背景和东北老工业基地的实际情况来看,在振兴东北老工业基地的实践中应贯彻企业再造思想.要以企业再造思想为指导,把整个东北地区看做一个大组织,搞好地区的文化建设;要从企业再造理论的精神实质出发,建立新的完善的市场机制;要坚持企业再造思想所强调的三个核心原则,搞好东北地区的行政改革.     

广州旅游文化资源开发总体构想框架

城市现代化过程中的趋同化问题，引好了广州市政府推动旅游与城市文化结合的思路和政策导向。文中分析了广州市开发此类资源的潜力和优势，提出了广州市旅游文化资源开发构想框架，并由微观、中观到宏观的探讨，提出了近期操作切入点的选择、旅游线网片开发的思考、整合城市优势和凸现岭南文化特色等方面的建议。