De kommersiella volontärresebyråerna : En kvalitativ studie om svenska volontärresebyråers perspektiv på volonturism

Sammanfattning: International work aid is a form of social work that historically has been conducted by non-profit organizations. When the commercial volunteer agencies entered the market they did so with a well-known product but with a different organizational form. The for-profit social enterprise does not only aim to create social value but also financial value. The commercial volunteer travels, called voluntourism, have during the past years endured certain criticism in social media. Big humanitarian organizations such as Friends International raise the alarm about children being victims of trafficking for the purpose of orphanages. It is also criticised that youngsters are allowed to teach english to children even though they lack relevant education or experience. Research conducted in this area focuses a lot about the volunteers themselves and how the help is received by the local organizations. Though little is known about the companies that sell the volunteer trips. This study explores how swedish volunteer travel agencies understand the meaning of voluntourism in relation to their own business. It also looks into how they, as a for-profit social enterprise legitimize selling volunteer travels. The study is carried out through interviews with representatives from five volunteer travel agencies chosen through a targeted selection. The data has then been interpreted using thematic analysis. The study found that the representatives learned of voluntourism through social media and formed their opinion about it in relation to their own business based on that knowledge. The result also indicates that the agencies aim to legitimize their businesses through a range of different statements and techniques, were the moral legitimacy is most difficult to gain and withhold.