Friday, August 28, 2009

welfare tourist

are you a welfare tourist? i know some are. what is a welfare tourist?
what i type below is taken from the New Paper Fri 28.

Dr Terence Chong, a sociologist from the Institue of South-east Asian Studies commented that "When many young affluent Singaporeans go overseas to do humanitarian work, they become welfare tourist. There is often no long term commitment to a project or cause. The welfare tourist is there to experience poverty, catch a glimpse of human suffering, lend a hand, and than come back to the comfort of Singapore with a nice CV, and lots of stories to tell their friends over lunch.
This phenonmenon is part of the self-help culture where helping others is seen as a way to self enrichment, and also part of a consumerist society where people can go out and buy such 'feel good' experiences."