Childhood studies and orphanage tourism in Cambodia

Interacting with children is one of the most popular activities among volunteer tourists, yet volunteer tourism research rarely is informed by insights from childhood studies. This paper shows how a greater understanding of the socially constructed nature of many assumptions about children and childhood, as well as a more accurate understanding of child development processes, can deepen understanding of the phenomenon widely referred to as orphanage tourism. Issues to be addressed include the definition and delineation of orphanage tourism, motivations for and consequences of orphanage tourism, and the anti-orphanage tourism campaign. Main points will be illustrated with excerpts from a content analysis of volunteers' testimonials, blogs and other online sources.