Write about your reaction to the Ivan Illich article and what perspective it gave you about volunteering. Please also include a reflection of Dr. Kala Stroup's talk about non-profits and volunteerism.
Blog posts must be 200-400 words, proofread, and void of common grammatical errors.
Your blog posts are due before the start of class next week.
Please email albreaks@ku.edu if you have any questions!
When I first got involved with volunteering, especially in high school, I never thought there could be a downside to devoting my time to a worthy cause. That was almost the point to it, in the beginning—no one got hurt, and everyone benefited. However, after reading Ivan Illich’s article, it struck me how little I’d actually thought about my work’s impact in its entirety. While the projects I’d done in high school hadn’t measured up to those in Mexico which Illich addressed, Alternative Breaks is an entirely different level. Illich’s article has shown to me the importance of ensuring our work is entirely voluntary, and not thrust upon the “natives”. Additionally, it is imperative to respect the people and culture of the sites we assist, even if the differences between their and our cultures seem practically negligible.
ReplyDeleteAt times, some of Illich’s remarks were quite negative and disparaging, such as when he states his speech’s purpose: “I am here to tell you, if possible to convince you, and hopefully, to stop you, from pretentiously imposing yourselves on Mexicans.” He comments on the futility of the volunteers’ efforts: “At best, you can try to convince Mexican girls that they should marry a young man who is self-made, rich, a consumer, and as disrespectful of tradition as one of you.” However, I didn’t find these or other remarks to be discouraging. Instead, they served as reminders of what would be most beneficial to our volunteer sites. I don’t want to be the uneducated, volunteering out of guilt or pressure; I want to be a well-educated, understanding, and willing helper to the cause.
Yet another reminder of how great an impact volunteering can have came from Dr. Kala Stroup’s speech about non-profits, the private sector, and volunteering. It’s incredibly encouraging to hear how strong the non-profit industry is in the United States, ranking quite highly in terms of economy—as high as Australia’s domestic product. Hearing the vast number of hours given to various organizations showed me just how important this is to the American people, and renewed my faith in volunteering. Overall, it was a wonderful reminder that it’s not just us going out into the world to help out… we’re just a small part of an amazing group.
When I began high school I started to become very involved with volunteering because I felt that it is very important to use my personal skills in order to aid others. After reading the first few sentences of Ivan Illich’s article I became very disturbed. It was giving me the feeling that every thing I thought about volunteering was not true.
ReplyDeleteBut I kept an open mind and forced myself to finish reading the article even though I did not agree with what Illich was saying at first. But after the discussion with my group during class, I was able to understand where Illich was coming from.
The site my group will be working with is People Working Cooperatively so we felt that our volunteer work fits in very will with the work that Illich was referring to in his article. My group agreed that it will be very important for us to volunteer at our site with an open mind and do only the tasks that the site asks us to do. We want to make sure that we do not fix what is not broken. Our job at the site will be to assist in ways that the site specifically asks us to do and not detour away from these tasks. We do not want to over step our boundrys and change something that we see as something that needs to be fixed when the people living there do not see it as something that needs to be fixed and therefore we end up accidently upsetting someone.
During the second part of class I was very intrigued with what Dr. Kala Stroup had to share with us about non-profits. When she asked us to guess how many non-profits existed I was going to say about 800,000. When she told us that there were over 2 million I was completely shocked. It was encouraging to hear that there are that many non-profits in existence in the U.S. It gives me a sense of hope that the number will hopefully increase one day and will encourage people to make volunteering something they automatically do without hesitation in their daily lives
After reading the Ivan Illich article, my first thought was who is Ivan Illich and why does he hate Americans that volunteer so much. But then I reread his speech, watched a short video about it, and I started to feel and understand his point of view about the American volunteer. He’s makes a few valid points about who are we, as middle-class college students, to say that we are going to travel across the world to “help” people that we may not be able to relate to or understand. Ivan Illich’s speech made me think more about why I am really participating in alternative breaks. I used to think I wanted to go to the Ecology Urban Center to help out and volunteer. But Ivan Illich may me realized that actually I am volunteering for myself. Instead of going for the sole purpose to help, I should be going to learn, to learn more about the Ecology Urban Center and what they do for the kids in Milwaukee and the surrounding area. Learn how they teach urban kids about the environment and a sustainable world.
ReplyDeleteDr. Kala Stroup’s talk about non-profits and volunteerism was extremely informative. Before, I had no idea how big the non-profit sector really was and how much influence they had in the America. I did not realize how many people volunteer and much money is spent in the non-profit sector. Her words made me think about how much college, at least engineering, is about the for profit sector. Why do most people go to college? Most would say to make more money when they graduate, not to help others with the skills that they have learn by working in the non-profit sector. Dr. Kala Stroup’s talk got me thinking about what kinds of opportunities are in non-profit sector for engineers and if I myself would be interested in working for in the non-profit sector.
“To Hell with Good Intentions” was an interesting title that certainly caught my attention when I first saw it. Illich, the author, cruelly stated his thoughts and ideas about the ignorance of American volunteers. He once mentioned, “You cannot help being ultimately vacationing salesmen for the middle-class ‘American Way of Life,’ since that is really the only life you know.” Undoubtedly, I absolutely agree with his statement; yet, I had never thought about it prior to reading the article. Personally, as a volunteer, I believe that most of the volunteers do have the heart and good intention to help those in need. However, as Illich said, it is possible that a lot of us are well-off U.S. students who are trying to help but it turns out to be a “vacation” that none of the people who were being helped really appreciate after all of the “services” that the volunteers have done. In my mind, we are more likely going to learn rather than serve. We will learn the culture differences as well as the skills of communication with different people from different parts of the country or the world.
ReplyDeleteIn the article, Illich specified the culture shocks that both the U.S. students were having as well as the poor fellow men in Mexico. Illich also gave a brilliant example: “Suppose you went to a U.S. ghetto this summer and tried to help the poor there ‘help themselves.’ Very soon you would be either spit upon or laughed at.” This example can be closely related to the site that I am going to during spring break – Cincinnati Homeless Coalition. I was really excited and thrilled to go over to Cincinnati as soon as possible at first; yet, I just realized that I should be prepared for the big challenges that I am likely going to face. Illich certainly did not discourage me from doing what I want to do. Instead, he provided a guide and advice for me. I understand that I should to be ready to encounter some unexpected and unappreciated responses during my volunteering. I think Illich gave me a really good heads up and I am now ready to learn!
Meanwhile during Dr. Kala Stroup’s talk about non-profits and volunteerism, I learned that there are numerous non-profit organizations in the United States. The money that is involved in these non-profit industries is as high as the GDP of Australia. This data shocked me but in a good way. After listening to her speech, I am again encouraged and feel proud to be a volunteer and have the chance to contribute a little of myself to this beautiful world.
As a student of society, starting at an early age it is preached to us that we must thrust ourselves into every facet of extracurricular activity that we can possibly manage – especially volunteerism. Most of us were told that in order to be accepted into any form of higher-education, to be a recipient of financial aid, or even to be accepted as a productive member of society, we must have a full page of typed volunteer history. Believing in this mantra, I never once stopped to consider the malicious side of volunteerism; the idea that a seemingly selfless act could indeed create negative repercussions for the recipient. With this being said, as I read through Ivan Illich’s article, I was reminded that not all actions done in the name of a respectful cause will be received in the intended manner.
ReplyDeletePresenting his argument with a seemingly unfavorable tone, Illich effectively sets the reader up for a level of critical thinking concerning volunteerism that, although not as popular as the idea that every act of “kindness” is for the greater good, effectively reminds the reader that not all “beneficial” acts are done with the proper amount of respect towards the recipients. Throwing out the reminder that volunteering continues to create an impact after the initial contact, Illich prompted me to keep in mind that, as a volunteer, my goal is to be open and concerning toward what is most beneficial for the organization or individual, not what would look best on a resume.
Further exemplifying the broad impact that non-profit organizations and volunteer programs can have on our society, Dr. Kala Stroup’s speech served as an uplifting reminder as to why we were all gathered in the conference room. Being witness to the verve with which she advocated the strength and liveliness of the non-profit sector, shocking us all with incredible statistics concerning the ever-growing breadth of aid that the industry is providing, her speech reinstated the importance that volunteering can hold on not only myself as the volunteer, but also on all who will be impacted by my service. Altogether, this second Alternative Break meeting opened my eyes to two very important sides of the act of volunteering: reminding me to always keep an open mind and uphold the level of respect that all cultures deserve, as well as instilling faith in what the Alternative Breaks organization is all about.
Jayda Ayala
ReplyDeleteWhen I began reading the article, I was very confused. I was confused because I assumed that any article we would be reading would be positively building up volunteer work. Then I put two and two together (the title and the actual words) and realized that the message of this article is just as important-maybe even more so- than the typically positive outlook on volunteering.
This article is important because it forces you to step back and understand that just because people do not practice the same customs or way of life as you does not mean they need assistance. This helped me address with myself why I do volunteer in the community and on this trip. If you are volunteering just to glorify yourself (like the rich American senators that Illich spoke of) than your intentions are tarnished and the phrase “To hell with good intensions” shows that this is a negative thing that insults those you are “assisting”.
Illich gave the example of what if you went to a spot in the U.S. ghetto and tried to help the people. He said that most would laugh at you and spit on you. I thought about this and I totally understand this example because I am a volunteer at a domestic violence shelter here and Lawrence. You can help the woman at the shelter with things that they ask you to, but if you overstep your boundaries and go to far to try to “help” them, they get very insulted. No one wants to feel like they are inferior to someone else. That is why it is important to be very cautious of the level of help you give to someone and really be humble about it. Helping someone from a loving and caring way is completely different than helping someone because you think they need to change and morph into your customs.
I never gave much thought about non-profit organizations until Dr. Stroup’s presentation. She informed me how vital volunteering and non-profit organizations are to our country and world. I honestly had no idea that our country is basically running on the back of those. Dr. Stroup really has made me consider pursuing a career in a non-profit organization. I think non-profit organizations are very good because they can basically only receive funding if the people believe that the organization has a good cause. This can relate to illich's article because then the non-profit organization's actions are monitored.
Brynn Blair
ReplyDeleteIn the United States, students are encouraged to volunteer throughout their school career and into adulthood. Volunteering can result in many extrinsic and intrinsic rewards for students. My high school offered a series of medals which corresponded to the number of hours students volunteered in the period of one year. The medals were bronze, silver, and gold levels. Students were recognized at an assembly at the end of the semester if they received a volunteer medal. The medal was an extrinsic reward for students to motivate them to help their society. However, the amount of hours it took to receive those medals (100+ for gold), ensured students who really cared about volunteering were the ones winning the awards. Despite the award, students were still getting the intrinsic rewards volunteering provides by helping others and learning more about society.
The article by Ivan Illich gave me a new perspective on volunteering. He writes from a completely opposite point of view than the students seeking to win volunteering medals. He emphasizes that volunteers do more harm than good because they have a lack of respect for different cultures and ways of life. He explains that many volunteers travel to Mexico in order to “improve” their cities. However, the volunteers may not understand that the Hispanic people in the cities could like their current way of life and not want any help from outside sources. I think Illich would be outraged if he heard that my high school offered medals for the number of volunteering hours one completes.
After reading the Illich article, one learns that to be an effective volunteer, one has to attempt to understand others’ ways of life. It is important for volunteers to understand that not everyone lives, or wants to live, in the same way an individual volunteer might.
Dr. Kala Stroup offered a new perspective on volunteering as well. She started to volunteer at a young age and ended up basing her whole career on non-profit organizations. It was inspiring to see a woman who volunteers for so much more than personal gain. She is dedicated enough to further volunteering efforts everyday of her life and she can impart her knowledge onto KU students through her non-profit classes.
Caitlin Ireland
ReplyDeleteWhat Ivan Illich had to say in his article “To Hell with Good Intentions” did not surprise me. After a mission trip to India last summer I came to some similar conclusions. During my trip I learned a lot about myself and I fell in love with India. Overall, I believe that I benefited substantially more than the people I planned on helping. I think one major reason for this was the language barrier. Many people in India speak English, but as Illich pointed out they are members of the middle to upper castes. The majority of them do not need any assistance. On the rare occasion that we did meet with someone who we could communicate with, it appeared to me like my fellow volunteers were not actually listening. As a result, people were making assumptions and trying to fix things that were not really broken.
One of the lessons I learned from the trip was that you need to spend a considerable amount of time getting to know a group or culture before you try to help them. If you are going to a different country you absolutely should learn the language if you want to do direct service volunteer work. It’s also essential to understand that different does not equal bad. I plan on returning to India this summer for a study abroad trip and to just enjoy the country. I’m in the process of learning Hindi and I hope to return at some point for a longer period of time to volunteer. If I am able to do so I want to make sure I avoid the problems presented in the article.
I think Alternative Break addresses the problems from Illich’s article through this class. By educating us and making us aware of some of the potential pitfalls of volunteering we can avoid them. This way we can benefit the people we are going to serve, instead of just benefiting ourselves.
After reading the Ivan Illich article, my opinion was not much changed towards volunteering, as I was very off-put by the extremely pessimistic view expressed. I think the Illich could have brought up his concerns in a more constructive way, rather than just putting down any thought of doing good. Though I understand his viewpoint that the volunteers may be the ones who benefit most, I don’t think that this should mean that the good that is done is negated. I do not think that the only worthwhile volunteering done is one where the volunteer doesn’t gain anything from their experience. Volunteers do experience positive self-worth through service for others, which may be a reward of good feelings. That doesn’t necessarily mean they did it just to feel good about themselves. True, it is a typical by-product; but for many people, the main intention is to be able to give back and help someone else. Illich argues that we should only aid our own communities; what if our strengths correlate better with issues that aren’t found in our immediate geographic area? If someone lives in an urban setting, but has had a talent at gardening and rehabilitation of preserves, should they stay in the city and not do that work because it may be “offensive”? When people complain that the government isn’t supporting them or providing the proper aid, non-profit aid groups step up to fill that role; should that stop just because it isn’t necessarily their “place” to do so? Illich’s pessimistic and negative view that all such vacation volunteerism is bad and offensive is simplistic and ignores the fact that someone has to be helping these people. As I travel to Memphis, Tennessee to volunteer with Alzheimer’s Day Services, I am able to use my strengths and past experiences of dealing with family members with Alzheimer’s in order to be a resource and contribute to the greatest community of all- Earth’s community. While Illich is content to draw borderlines and divide people up, volunteering reminds us all the we are all human at the core, and have a responsibility to every other person on this planet.
ReplyDeleteDr. Kala Stroup’s lecture was interesting to trigger thoughts about future prospects within non-profit industry careers, a segment often forgotten in the job search. I think that the creation of more non-profit classes in the Business School would be extremely beneficial, as some of the smartest leaders out there right now are leading these non-profits by utilizing their sense of vision and mission.
As most people who are going on an alternative break, I have a passion for volunteer work. My goal is to someday become a medical missionary. I want to travel to different countries and provide healthcare to those who don't have access to proper healthcare. Whenever I tell people this, I'm usually praised for how noble my cause sounds and how great it would be to do that kind of work. Last week, I told the same thing to one of my Korean teachers. I explained to her that since I am currently learning Korean, I would want to provide healthcare to people who live in rural areas of South Korea. Her response took me by surprise. She said that South Korea’s healthcare system was better than America’s healthcare system, and that instead of trying to come and practice my American healthcare in Korea, I should learn from Korea and try to change the American healthcare system. As taken aback as I was, I took time to reflect on what she said and realized that I hadn't given much thought to the situation of those who I wanted to help.
ReplyDeleteReading the Ivan Illich article served to somewhat reinforce what my teacher had said to me. Illich believes that we, as Americans, want to help to make ourselves feel better, so we blindly go into situations for which we are ill prepared and uncommitted. Also, American volunteers go to other countries and push the “American Way of Life” on those they are trying to help. I agree with him on both fronts. I've learned that as a volunteer, the focus of the work isn't me. I need to be able to stand in the shoes of the people that I’m trying to help to figure out exactly what they need and the best way to give it to them. However, I don't agree with Illich when he says that Americans should visit simply as tourists without trying to provide aid at all. As Dr. Kala Stroup said, the non-profit sector is the 16th biggest economy in the world. This shows that non-profit work is too important to not be done and has prospered because of the great impact it has made. Both Dr. Stroup and the Illich article gave me some insight on how to approach volunteer work, and I now feel more equipped to volunteer anywhere.
I have always regarded volunteering, as with any gesture, as an inherently selfish act. Although we are donating our time to those in situations less fortunate than our own, we are doing so because we understand that feelings of accomplishment are almost guaranteed to follow. Furthermore, in the weeks leading up to and after spring break, we are afforded the invaluable opportunity to feel superior to our peers time and time again as we explain that we spent our short vacation doing service instead of relaxing.
ReplyDeleteIvan Illich's oration, therefore, struck me as a logical and compelling argument against ignoring the insularity and superiority often felt amongst volunteers. I wasn’t surprised that I was in the minority who agreed with him, although I was a bit taken aback by how adamantly his words were eschewed. He may not have used a great deal of emotional tact in presenting his ideas, but those who are convinced of their actions need to be startled into considering another perspective. I found it ironic that he purposefully used forceful language to get through to his audience, and in doing so, he led a great deal of the Alternative Spring Break participants to disagree with his speech.