Recreation and Leisure Studies

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This is the collection for the University of Waterloo's Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies.

Research outputs are organized by type (eg. Master Thesis, Article, Conference Paper).

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An Exploration of Sherpas’ Narratives of Living and Dying in Mountaineering
(University of Waterloo, 2017-05-16) Miller, Maggie; Mair, Heather
Mountaineering is the cornerstone of Nepal’s $370-million-a-year adventure tourism industry. Each year, Climbing Sherpas lead foreign mountaineers (paying clients) up the Southeast ridge of Mt. Everest as they make their bids for the summit. These Sherpas commit themselves to securing and saving the lives of their clients by doing much of the dangerous labour, often jeopardising their own lives in the process (Davis, 2014; National Public Radio [NPR], 2013; Peedom, 2015). Social justice concerns arise as tensions grow between the international demand to climb and the risks and fatalities associated with summit attempts. Mountaineering is an extreme sport, historically reserved for highly skilled climbers. However, it is becoming increasingly blurred with our understandings of adventure tourism as a recreational activity open to anyone with the financial means to participate. Consequently, the industry is critiqued for the ways in which people with “means,” regardless of experience, pursue mountains like Mt. Everest (Davis, 2014; Payne & Shrestha, 2014). Moreover, within current mountaineering, tourism, and leisure discourses perspectives from Sherpas have been limited. Stemming from critiques of Nepal’s growing adventure tourism industry, and recognising the centrality of Sherpas’ roles within it, this research considers Climbing Sherpas’ stories of living and dying in mountaineering within the Solukhumbu (commonly known as the Mt. Everest Region) of Nepal. This critical narrative inquiry has been shaped by philosophical and theoretical positions underpinned by existentialism, as well as Foucault’s notions of power. Inspired by visual methodologies, this research draws upon fieldwork observations and thirteen audio and visually recorded interviews conducted in Nepal in the spring of 2015. Analysis of narrative findings reveal an interplay of death, pride, responsibility, and power in experiences of freedom on the mountainside. Sherpas’ participation in mountaineering expeditions is reflective of socioeconomic pressures faced off the mountain, but is also increasingly related to the perceived “name” and fame that comes with successful mountain summits. Additionally, Sherpas’ stories of death provide a space to critique tourism development. Sherpas affected by disasters, death, and the like find themselves “betwixt and between” their life prior to the event and an uncertain sense of the future (Turner, 1960, p. 95). Liminality, an anthropological concept introduced by Arnold van Gennep (1960), becomes transformative as Sherpas and their communities use these moments of uncertainty to take stock of the purpose of their lives, often considering new trajectories. Accordingly, as Sherpas navigate their own experiences of death, power relations shift and they demonstrate individual freedom and collective agency through their responses to the pressures and demands of Nepal’s commercial mountaineering industry. Rather than being seen as static and always vulnerable, Sherpas harness inherent systems and power, which at times is vital to sustaining their lives. The Sherpas’ stories presented in this work challenge assumptions of immobile host populations that underlie some of our current understandings in tourism and recreation disciplines, further disrupting oppositional binaries of East/West and us/them. Additionally, exploring death as it relates to power on the mountainside draws attention to critical concerns regarding tourism (and its associated industries) as a mechanism for economic development. As the research findings highlight, access to the means (both personal and societal) for development indeed help to shape one’s power to choose to engage in risky industries and activities. Finally, this research illuminates the ways audio-visual technologies may be utilised to provide opportunities for Sherpas to represent themselves, their cultures, and experiences within academic, as well as media, canons. As the Climbing Sherpas have a vital role to play with regard to the sustainable development of Nepal’s mountaineering and adventure industries, the inclusion of their voices remains integral. Such methodological insights warrant deeper consideration of how we engage the voices of people in marginalised communities in other tourism, recreation, and leisure contexts.
A Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis of the Experiences of Community Reintegration for Women Leaving Prison
(University of Waterloo, 2022-09-12) Momi, Preet; Mair, Heather
Women are a small, yet growing, increasingly diverse and complex group out of the overall Canadian prison population. From 2005 to 2015, the population of people in Canadian prisons rose by approximately 10% and most of this growth can be attributed to the increase of visible minorities, individuals of Indigenous descent and women in prison. Presently, more than 50% of the women are under supervision in community, thus in need of support as they attempt to socially reintegrate. Unfortunately, in comparison to the average Canadian, formerly incarcerated women carry a greater rate of mental health and substance abuse issues and are more likely to have a history of sexual or physical abuse. In comparison to men, women are often more vulnerable and likely to experience negative outcomes from incarceration, including continuous stigmatization while re-entering the community. Thus, women leaving prison may face a wide array of constraints to achieving a healthy lifestyle. Thankfully, decades of research have shown that relationships hold great value in helping women achieve a sense of normalcy in their lives during their transitions from prison into community. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences of women reintegrating into community after imprisonment. To do this, I performed a feminist critical discourse analysis (FCDA) on a data set of longitudinal transcribed interviews with six women who have experienced incarceration at the Grand Valley Institution for Women (GVI). The women took part in a community-based restorative justice program, known as Stride Circles, in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.
Gazing back: A feminist postcolonial lens on tourism in the townships of South Africa
(University of Waterloo, 2018-06-18) Muldoon, Meghan; Mair, Heather
Encountering poverty in tourism is a morally fraught experience. Growing numbers of tourists are desirous of exploring off-the-beaten path adventures and this invariably leads to encounters with the Other in increasingly far-flung and improbable locales. As countries of the Majority World – where the majority of the world’s poor live – continue to host ever-increasing numbers of tourist arrivals (UNWTO, 2017), the potential of tourism to play a role in the alleviation of poverty is an alluring prospect. Despite its economic potential, the postcolonial nature of many touristic encounters in the Majority World, as well as the very tangible harm that some forms of tourism have brought to the world’s poor, have caused many critical scholars to question the assertion that tourism may bring net-benefits to people living in poverty. Further, colonialized discourses of the exoticized Other, circulated through tourism marketing and the popular media, create essentialized images that inform tourists’ interactions with tourism hosts while traveling in the global South. Guided by a feminist postcolonial theoretical framework, the purpose of this thesis research was to learn about how hosts gaze back at the tourists that spend time in the townships of South Africa where they live. Constructed as racialized spaces of economic and geographic segregation during apartheid, townships in South Africa continue to be homogenously black or coloured spaces characterized by poor infrastructure, inadequate housing, and economic marginalization. Following the end of apartheid, however, townships have also come to be demarcated as spaces of resistance and courage, of historical significance and triumph over oppression. It is into these spaces that a growing number of tourists choose to venture, travelling the streets of the townships on foot, on bicycles, or in vans. Employing a photovoice methodology for the purposes of this study, I gave digital cameras to 14 men and women living in three black townships on the outskirts of Cape Town and asked them to take photographs of how tourism is and how tourism ought to be. Through the photographs that they chose to share, participants spoke about the economic and social benefits that encounters with tourism had brought to their lives. They also spoke to the complex ways in which tourism to the townships is embedded within existing structures of race, class, gender, and postcolonial aftermaths. Employing a Foucauldian approach to discourse analysis, I strove to understand how relationships of power, embedded within these structures, inform the ways in which township residents conceptualize and seek out encounters with tourism. Complicating this narrative was my presence in the townships as a white/Canadian/tourist/researcher. The narratives that were shared with me were filtered through the lens of my embodied presence, and led me to explore my own situatedness and biases through a number of reflexive research practices. This thesis analyzes the ways in which relationships of power based in race, gender, mobilities, colonial narratives, and financial resources inform touristic encounters in the townships of Cape Town, South Africa. This work contributes to the field of critical tourism and leisure studies by advancing our understandings of how tourism is conceptualized as powerful in a multitude of ways by tourism hosts in a unique part of the Majority World.
Hospitality in Crisis: Maybe Care is the Answer
(University of Waterloo, 2024-09-23) Vacalopoulos, Peggy (Panayiota); Mair, Heather
The hospitality industry is in crisis, and maybe care is the answer. As a 25-year veteran of the hospitality industry, I know firsthand what makes the sector undesirable, what makes it attractive, and what makes it worth saving. In 2019, the Covid pandemic brought the tourism sector to its knees, and hospitality came down with it. At this time, many scholars suggested Covid offered the perfect opportunity for us to rethink how we engage with the restoration and regeneration of the sector. During this time, an emphasis was placed on caring for one another. However, that did not trickle down to best business practices. Consequently, the labour shortage amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic continues today as hospitality organizations struggle to attract and retain a talented workforce. In this narrative inquiry, I explored the lived experiences of six frontline restaurant staff before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic by conducting semi-structured interviews. My findings revealed nothing's changed in the industry, it is still as toxic and undesirable as it ever was. Guided by Critical Theory and a feminist ethic of care lens, I formulated the idea that perhaps care can interrupt the invasive neoliberal individualistic attitudes that have dominated hospitality narratives thus far. By incorporating relational care as the foundation for best business practices hospitality outlets will regain their ability to sustain the workforce that fuels hospitality encounters. Maybe then, we will have an opportunity to ensure decent work and economic growth for all.
“Look at me! Am I a security threat?!”: Border crossing experiences of Canadian dual citizens post 9/11
(University of Waterloo, 2019-09-16) Torabian, Pooneh; Mair, Heather
We live in an era in which security politics are generated and sustained by the ‘war on terror’ (Anderson, 2010; Bhandar, 2008; Mueller, 2006). This war often targets mobile people. As a result, security and tourism have become more intertwined with geopolitics and discrimination is a widely-debated feature of the politics of control (Bianchi, 2006). Although it might seem that dual citizenship would lead to the ease of access when it comes to international travel, it is a form of hierarchical citizenship through which only some can benefit (Stasiulis & Ross, 2006). September 11 attacks have highly affected the international travel and tourism practices worldwide. Travelling across or even within borders has become an unpleasant experience for members of minority groups as they may be constantly at risk of facing with different discriminatory actions in the form of xenophobia, racism, and more recently islamophobia (Stephenson, 2006; Stephenson & Ali, 2010). Guided by critical mobilities and intersectionality frameworks, the purpose of this thesis was to explore the border crossing experiences of Canadians dual citizens who have travelled internationally in the post 9/11 era. Critical mobilities accentuates mobilities as a right while highlighting the interplay of (im)mobilities and inequalities. Frameworks highlighting intersectionality consider being raced, gendered, and classed intertwined to illustrate the complexity of the individual’s experiences. This study challenges the idea of freedom of movement as a human right and illustrates the inequalities in terms of accessing international mobilities. The focus of this qualitative research was on the ontological experiences of international travel. I sought to understand what dominant discourses materialize at border v crossings, how these discourses become embodied in travellers’ experiences, and how individuals navigate such discourses. Employing narrative inquiry for the purpose of this research, I used a Foucauldian lens to examine the relationship between the body and the state or politics. Stories of participants revealed that bordering is “selective and targeted” (Rumsford, 2006, p. 164). In line with Muller (2010), I argue that border crossing is “less and less about the line in the sand and more and more about the bodies that cross it – each and every body” (p. 61). Borders are not fixed entities (Donnan & Wilson, 1999; Pickering & Weber, 2006) but are spaces “created and recreated by states and other actors in a way that is fundamentally gendered, raced, and classed” (Pickering & Weber, 2006, p. 12). Mobilities are shaped by one’s gender, race, and class and made manifest through power hierarchies and structures, and reinforced or resisted through agency. This research has developed an argument on how borders are written on human bodies and that bodies carry borders. Through use of critical mobilities and intersectionality as its broader frameworks, this research accentuates mobility as a right while highlighting the interplay of (im)mobilities and inequalities. This study has set the stage for the future tourism and mobilities research by providing discussions on the notions of dual citizenship and freedom of movement and their implications for crossing international borders.
The Metamorphosis of Self: Phenomenological Insights into the Meaning of Being for Immigrant Artists
(University of Waterloo, 2016-04-12) Rouzrokh, Mahsa; Mair, Heather
In 2013, 232 million people or 3.2 percent of the world's population lived outside their country of origin (United Nation’s Population Fund [UNPF], 2015). According to the UNPF, the majority of migrants venture into new lands to chase their dreams or to escape oppression, war, poverty, or misfortune. Regardless of their reasons for leaving their countries of origin, immigrants face profound shifts and transformations in their being. Diverse aspects of a humanly being are developed through interactions of mind and body with the physical environment, relationships with others, and practicing and cherishing cultural values and beliefs of a particular place. These constructed parts of our being then provide the pathways for perceiving, believing, evaluating, communicating, and acting in this world. Physical surroundings or space, and others or encounters, are dramatically influenced by migration. These domains affect the way immigrants make sense of their self and ultimately their being in a new home. This study utilizes Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenological explanations of being in relation to self, others, and space in order to create insights into the experience of migration for seven immigrant artists settling in Greater Toronto Area. The analysis reveals that after migration, participants experienced shifts in the ways they make sense of their being. The transformed being was expressed through a sense of living with two selves, the sorrow of separation from family and relatives, encounters with other individuals who have migrated, new relationships, and navigating through the unfamiliar physical surrounding. This study also exposes the role art plays in making sense of being in a new setting for these immigrants. Art making not only helped the participants accept the changes, but it also enabled them to explore their metamorphosed self and being in and through new art styles.
Older Adults' Experiences of Community in Municipal Recreation Contexts: A Case Study of the Burlington Seniors' Centre
(University of Waterloo, 2019-09-10) Gibbons, Brooke; Mair, Heather; Mair, Heather
In 2012, the first members of the baby boom cohort, those born between the years of 1946 and 1965, reached the age of 65 (Statistics Canada, 2012). The older adult population in Canada is expected to outnumber that of youth and adults and will compromise majority of the population in 2036. As the Canadian population continues to age, organizations and services need to provide adequate and appropriate social programs to alleviate feelings of social isolation (McNamara & Gonzales, 2011). Seniors’ centres provide recreation and social activities tailored to older adults, as well as opportunities to volunteer and socialize. Although widely available, the extent to which older adults use seniors’ centres, relative to other community organizations to meet social needs is unknown. Also, there is little research on the provision of recreation programs in seniors’ centres by municipal parks and recreation departments. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to understand how the Burlington Seniors’ Centre build community for its older adult participants. Data was collected through document analysis of seven promotional materials, policies and procedures manuals, twelve semi-structured interviews with recreation practitioners and older adult participants, and observations of eight recreation programs. Recreation practitioners discussed culture change at the seniors’ centre to change perceptions of older adults, and structuring program experiences when developing recreation programs. Older adults valued developing new social connections, improving skills while aging, and experiencing a sense of community with recreation program and volunteer groups. Important insights emerge from this study, namely how older adults can cultivate significant relationships and improve skills in positive and inclusive atmospheres. However, this can be accomplished based on organizational capacities in the recreation department, including number of rooms available for programming, instructors and collaborations with community organizations. Future research areas include the role power plays in seniors’ centre contexts, improving opportunities to alleviate social isolation and combating images of ageist attitudes for baby boomers who perceive seniors’ centres as a place for the frail elderly.
Privileging Indigenous voices: Narratives of travel experiences of Tibetans
(University of Waterloo, 2020-12-11) Yang, Xiaotao; Mair, Heather
In 2012, Peters and Higgins-Desbiolles, wrote “What is wholly absent [from the tourism literature] …is any recognition of Indigenous peoples as tourists” (p.78). Chambers and Buzinde (2015) acknowledged that “tourism knowledge is still predominantly colonial” (p.1). As a response to these claims, this study aims to privilege and center Tibetan peoples’ knowledge as tourists, rather than as objects for tourists to gaze upon. Specifically, three research questions have guided this study: 1. What travel and tourism-related issues do Tibetan participants consider important? 2. How do Tibetan travelers narrate their travel experiences? 3. How does the research contribute to building a critically-informed understanding of tourism issues relevant to Indigenous peoples (e.g., experience, knowledge)? The first research question was purposely left open for the Tibetan participants, leaving room for them to decide their stance on relevant issues. After consulting with participants, we decided to develop codes of conduct for “welcomed tourists’ behaviours” to inform tourists who visit Tibet. Four months of fieldwork was conducted in Tibet, reaching out to 35 participants who generously shared 93 travel stories. Inspired by Indigenous methodologies and community-based participatory research (CBPR), this study adopted a participation oriented approach, guided by three principles: prioritizing community benefits from the research; cultivating sincere researcher-participant relationships; privileging Indigenous knowledge (Chilisa, 2012; Smith, 2012; Wilson, 2008). My study reports on methodological reflections. A series of research practices was drawn from related literature to ensure the application of these principles for opening up different ways of knowing. To address the second research question (How do Tibetans narrate their travel experiences?), I first elaborated on two major forms of travel taking place in contemporary Tibetan society: yukour and neikour. Neikour refer to religiously motivated visits to distant spiritual sites. Yukour, referring to non-religiously motivated travelling, is similar to sightseeing, tourism, or leisure in the literature. Engaging Tibetan concepts might open up new ways of understanding. Participants held two different ideas: yukour is a form of neikour; yukour is different from neikour due to its primary trip purposes. Both views differ from those in extant literature, which normally considers pilgrimage to be a sub-niche market of religious tourism (Olsen, 2019; Fleischer, 2000). I next presented Tibetan travel experiences in a narrative form through composing eight narratives largely based on verbatim quotations. Following each narrative, I connected participants’ experiences to Tibetan knowledge recorded in books. Moreover, following Hollinshead’s (2012) suggestion of cultivating dialogue space between Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge, I engaged in a critical dialogue with multiple existing literatures, including decolonial studies, dark tourism, posthumanism, eudaimonia experiences, Indigenous knowledge, and travelling workers. Potential working directions for future research were included. Participants’ requested that I advertise their expectations and suggestions for tourists who visit Tibet, which is included as one of my research questions. After consulting with 19 participants, I documented codes of conduct for welcomed tourists, which aligns with religious requirements and moving toward Indigenous communities’ autonomy. Overall, my thesis has established the fact that Tibetans are actively traveling, whether considered yukour or neikour, both within their homeland and outside. Rather than asserting any confirming tone, my thesis serves as a modest opening for the purpose of inviting more studies to broaden our understanding of tourism and pilgrimage via centering on Indigenous voices, such as those of Tibetan people.
Second homes in Mexico: An exploration of the social connections of international residents in the city of Merida
(University of Waterloo, 2017-06-13) Aguilar Mendez, Laura; Mair, Heather
Owners of second homes construct complex relationships with the people and place they live in especially when the property is located across national borders. While previous research on second homes identified numerous negative impacts associated with the expansion of this phenomenon (Coppock, 1977; Gallent & Twedwr-Jones, 2000; Hall & Müller, 2004), recent studies have turned to examine the social effects of second homes in connection with social capital and the potential contribution that second home owners might bring to the host communities (Gallent, 2014; Huijbens, 2012). This qualitative study explored the social connections of international second home owners in the city of Merida, Mexico placing emphasis on the concept of social capital. Through eleven semi-structured interviews with temporary and permanent residents, the study sought to contribute to our understanding of the second home social experience from the owner’s perspective in an international context. Three main themes emerged during the analysis of the data: connecting with others, encountering challenges, and accumulating social capital. Findings revealed that international second home owners were building multiple relationships with local and foreign residents at the second home destination. Additionally, challenges related to communication in Spanish, cultural differences, and tensions among groups of foreigners hindered social interactions and the creation of social ties. Findings also suggested that international second home owners had the potential to accumulate social capital in the city. At an individual level, participants were getting social support and accessing resources through informal social networks. In a collective sense, they were helping the community in voluntary groups and informal projects. Recommendations for both foreign residents and local authorities were also included. Future areas of research include examining the locals’ perspective of the presence of second home owners in the city, selecting second home owners from a wide variety of nationalities, and studying the phenomenon in areas with lower density of second homes.
Troubling Dominance in Sport: Deconstructing Curling Culture(s) through Narrative Inquiry
(University of Waterloo, 2020-02-26) Norman, RIchard; Misener, Katie; Mair, Heather
Curling, with its deep history, colonial legacy, and quintessential “Canadianness” (Mair, 2007, 2009) offers a rich context to explore how dominant narratives within a sport may continue to affect diversity and inclusion. For example, one prominent narrative in curling is a commitment to “reflect the changing needs of the cultural mosaic and lifestyles of Canadians” (Curling Canada, 2019b), expressing curling as a sport that is open and welcoming to all Canadians. However, its image continues to present as White, middle-classed, heterosexual, and able-bodied (Curling Canada et al., 2015). The purpose of this inquiry was to explore the role of dominant narratives in curling culture(s) as revealed through the experiences of its participants. Further, the inquiry sought to understand how dominant narratives may reinforce conditions limiting curling’s ability to achieve a vision of a fully inclusive and truly diverse sport. The inquiry used semi-structured interviews to gather participant accounts, which were then analyzed to detect tensions and stresses. Breaking with traditional practices of representing findings, performance text – a form of creative analytic practice (CAP) (Berbary, 2011; Parry & Johnson, 2007; Richardson & St. Pierre, 2005) – was used to explore the complexity of the issues in a dialogic form. The inquiry revealed that persistent questions of “race”, lack of diversity, and of the possibility of decolonizing curling’s past continues to affect curling today. Moreover, the lack of discourse regarding those issues emerged as a significant obstacle contributing to curling’s continued underrepresentation of Indigenous and people of colour. By deconstructing the personal experiences and repurposing tensions into a performative dialogue, the limitations to inclusion in curling are shown directly related to its cultures, where tradition maintains “whiteness” within a colonial frame, and in opposition to an inclusive vision where all Canadians are welcome and represented.
Understanding Refugee Employment in Tourism Social Enterprises: The Case of the Magdas Hotel
(University of Waterloo, 2021-11-24) Alomari, Thabit; Mair, Heather
The tourism and hospitality sector has come to rely heavily on immigrants, including displaced people (i.e., refugees), as a significant employee source. While much research has explored the role of immigrants and refugees in the tourism and hospitality sector, fewer studies have considered the tourism social enterprises (TSE) context. This research uses a qualitative case study to better understand refugee employment from the stakeholders' perspective at the Magdas Hotel, a tourism social enterprise in Vienna, Austria. Four groups of 20 stakeholders participated in this study, which included on-site observation and in-depth interviews. This study contributes to the existing tourism and hospitality literature by investigating refugees' employment experiences from a stakeholder perspective, offering a comprehensive analytical approach to explore refugee employment in the context of tourism social enterprises. Also, this research considered the ethics of care approach, which is rooted in feminist theory and utilized in stakeholder theory to understand refugee employment. Thus, this dissertation introduces the social enterprise of Magdas Hotel as a responsible business model that supports human well-being (Boluk et al., 2019). In addition, this study conceptualizes Magdas Hotel as a market-based approach that applies the ethics of care within the tourism sector to approach social issues and build sustainable choices for societies (Higgins-Desbiolles & Monga, 2020). Key findings include: (1) the significance of employment as a major priority in a refugee's life; (2) employment in the hospitality sector is a two-way avenue, refugees require skills to counter labour shortages, while the corporate culture and employment policies need to be flexible and sensitive to refugees’ circumstances; (3) tourism social enterprises could be a starting point for refugee job-seekers aiming to join the hospitality sector; (4) refugee workers can be an asset to their employer in the hospitality sector and create a satisfying tourist experience while building an enhanced business reputation. This study has highlighted that tourism social enterprises provide necessary financial, social, and professional support for refugee workers within the hospitality sector's broader scope. I argue that the findings of this study add to our understanding of this critical and timely topic through the perspectives of various stakeholders. I consider the conclusions of this thesis as an opportunity to improve policy development and implementation based on an enhanced understanding of refugees' employment experiences. Furthermore, this dissertation poses various questions for future research related to refugee employment in the hospitality sector and in regard to tourism social enterprises.
Volunteer Tourism: An Exploration of Socially Responsible Tourism Practices
(University of Waterloo, 2016-08-25) Rattan, Jasveen; Mair, Heather
This study explored the practices of commercial volunteer tourism operators in order to determine their perspectives on the role certification may play as a strategy for socially responsible volunteer tourism. It was guided by two objectives: 1) To determine the current perceptions of volunteer tourism stakeholders regarding social responsibility in the volunteer tourism sector, 2) To consider additional measures (e.g., certification) as tools to enhance socially responsible tourism practices. The study was conducted in two phases. Research during phase one provided a background understanding of the issues related to the volunteer tourism sector. I specifically sought to understand issues surrounding the social responsibility of operators within the sector and methods that could possibly be utilized to improve the sector, such as certification. This was achieved through an assessment of the perceptions of key informants within the volunteer tourism sector, which were gathered through semi-structured interviews. Phase two involved case study analysis, whereby the practices of two large commercial volunteer tourism organizations, Projects Abroad and ME to WE, were examined. Data for phase two were gathered through semi-structured interviews conducted with key players (employees) within the organizations, as well as each organization’s website and publication materials. Cross-case analysis of data gathered from both organizations revealed two major themes: (1) operating towards making a difference and (2) creating social responsibility within the volunteer tourism sector. Combining the results of phase one (background understanding of the volunteer tourism sector and certification) and phase two (analysis of the practices of two volunteer tourism organizations) allowed for the development of an in-depth understanding of the role social responsibility plays within the volunteer tourism sector. This study has shown that the operations of volunteer tourism organizations are an important component of the tensions present within the sector. This study has revealed the perspectives of volunteer tourism operators and other stakeholders within the sector, a cohort whose perspectives have not been studied in much depth in past research Furthermore, it identifies the opportunity and need to better align volunteer tourism operators with more socially responsibility within the sector. This study has illustrated that the socially responsible practices that are implemented at an operational level could aid in understanding the actual contribution that an organization will make within the sector. The majority of the participants from phase one and phase two of this research identify that they would subscribe to a certification as a responsible tourism implementation strategy. Finally, it is proposed that a new approach and definition for volunteer tourism should be considered within the literature: Socially Responsible Volunteer Tourism.
Whose Lane is it Anyway? The Negligence Towards Cyclists within in a Mid-sized City
(University of Waterloo, 2017-05-10) Mayers, Rebecca; Glover, Troy; Filion, Pierre; Mair, Heather
Urban cycling has been gaining momentum for decades, yet the need to upgrade infrastructure to accommodate cycling has never been greater. Urban development in North America continues to privilege car usage, despite growing threats of climate change and resource depletion. To better adapt to these challenges, cities are responding by encouraging alternate modes of transportation through bike-friendly design and planning which reduces an individual’s carbon footprint. Nevertheless, the politics of approving such initiatives remain contentious, even though evidence reveals bikeable cities are beneficial in a variety of ways. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to expose how seemingly bike-friendly policies serves to disadvantage urban cyclists and further privilege car culture. Concentrating on cyclists’ experiences in the Region of Waterloo, this study engaged with local cyclists directly to understand how regional initiatives and policies aimed at improving cycling left cyclists feeling devalued and under-resourced. Informed by a critical urban lens, this qualitative study collected 16 participants stories through semi-structured interviews to address the following research questions: How do cyclists experience so-called bike-friendly policies and infrastructure in the Region of Waterloo?; how do cyclists’ lived experiences reflect their right to the city?; and (3) how do bike-friendly policies and infrastructure privilege car culture? Five themes were identified from the data collected and consist of: (1) identification as a cyclist; (2) rationale for riding; (3) riding in a car-centric city; (4) lived experience with so called “bicycle-friendly” infrastructure and (5) the representation of politics of Waterloo cycling. The discussion of findings prompted five themes to help better synthesize cyclists’ experiences: Identity, tangibilize the intangible, build it well and they will come, (4) keeping up with the culture shift, and changing minds to changing modes. This research brings to light narratives from cyclists lives that provoke further research on the topic of cycling to broadening our understanding and how to influence positive change through practice.

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