New Books Network: Kathleen Smithers – "Tourism, Philanthropy and School Tours in Zimbabwe: Problematising 'Win-Win' Discourses"
Date: September 21, 2025
Host: Nick Posik
Guest: Kathleen (Kate) Smithers
Main Theme:
Kathleen Smithers discusses her book examining the intersections of tourism, philanthropy, and education in Zimbabwe—specifically, how school tours position local communities, tourists, and NGOs within complex networks, challenging the seemingly straightforward "win-win" narratives.
Episode Overview
Kathleen Smithers’ book, Tourism, Philanthropy and School Tours in Zimbabwe: Problematizing "Win-Win" Discourses (Routledge, 2024), uses a rich ethnographic lens to analyze the multifaceted relationships created through philanthropic school tourism in Zimbabwe. Drawing on her positionality as someone born in Zimbabwe but educated and professionally based in Australia, Smithers unpacks the authenticity, power dynamics, and tensions inherent in these encounters between Western visitors and local communities. The interview delves into her theoretical frameworks, methodological choices, reflections on fieldwork, and the broader implications for research and practice.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Framing School Tourism as a "Movie" (01:20–07:46)
- Central Metaphor: Smithers employs a vivid metaphor of philanthropic tourism as a movie set:
- “Imagine for a moment the set of a movie filmed in an unnamed country in Africa...As you expect, red dirt and dry, sparse savannahs stretch as far as the eye can see...In the foreground, the man stands in a red dirt playground...he surveys the landscape with a camera at the ready. In his hands there are packages of pens and pencils which are gleefully given to smiling children.” (Kathleen Smithers, 02:25)
- She likens teachers to film directors, tourism companies to producers, tourists to leading actors (often the "white savior" trope), and children to supporting actors.
- Critique of "Win-Win" Discourse: The metaphor illustrates the rehearsed yet unspoken roles that all players perform, shaping the experience and representation of "Africa" for Western audiences.
- Origins of the Metaphor: The metaphor arose from a conversation with her father, who remarked: “Everybody just knows what they have to do because it’s a movie they've seen a hundred times.” (Smithers, 06:03)
- Cultural Narratives: Smithers discusses how Western media, charitable campaigns, and education reinforce an image of Africa as needy but joyful—evoking her experiences in Australia, such as the "40 Hour Famine" (06:30).
2. Choosing Zimbabwe as Research Site (07:46–13:00)
- Personal Connection: Born in Zimbabwe, Smithers grew up in Australia with contrasting images of the country (urban Harare vs. Western "mythical Africa").
- Critical Incident: While on a university study tour, she witnessed tourists selecting a child to receive shoes, an act that galvanized her interest in researching the ethics and power in such encounters:
- “What makes someone feel that they have the right to visually inspect and decide that that child is needy?” (Smithers, 10:00)
- Research Journey: Initially intending to study history curriculum, Smithers pivoted to focus on these philanthropic interactions after reflecting on her positionality and the unique access afforded by her background.
3. Selecting Sites & Scope of Philanthropic Tourism (13:00–19:18)
- Site Selection: Nearly all tourism providers in Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland North have some school partnership (13:22). Smithers carefully anonymized sites for ethical reasons.
- Ubiquity of Practice: School sponsorship is pervasive—supported by small local operators and large multinationals alike (16:28).
- Case Study Strength: Motopo school, the primary site, featured both small-scale and large multinational partnerships, making it a rich example for the study.
4. Methodological Approach & Fieldwork Insights (19:18–24:48)
- Ethnographic Immersion: Smithers integrated herself into daily school and NGO routines, fostering genuine relationships with teachers who became invested in her research.
- Participatory Methods: She used semi-structured interviews and innovative art-based activities with students, though logistical and curricular constraints required ongoing adaptation:
- “It was very complicated to organize because schooling in Zimbabwe is a really serious endeavor...much less flexibility...that sort of art creativity element isn’t as recognized in the curriculum.” (Smithers, 21:24)
- Flexibility in Practice: Smithers underscores the need for adaptability and negotiation in qualitative research, particularly in cross-cultural contexts (23:28).
5. Navigating Ethics & Researcher Positionality (24:48–34:02)
- Challenging IRB Process: The human subjects approval process was tailored to medical rather than qualitative research, causing difficulties with articulating complex consent procedures (24:58).
- Advice for Doctoral Researchers: She references her published article "Fieldwork from A to Z" (28:07), urging student researchers to:
- Anticipate the unexpected
- Discuss scenarios with mentors
- Recognize and embrace "shifting identities" in the field
- Accept deviation from planned methods as normal
- Emotion & Identity: Researcher emotions and shifting insider/outsider identities profoundly shape fieldwork experiences.
6. Bracketing and Reflexivity in the Field (34:02–37:02)
- Field Notes as Emotional Outlet: Intended as academic documentation, Smithers’ field notes often became personal journals, reflecting difficult experiences as a white woman alone in Zimbabwe (34:11):
- “There was this just constant level of harassment, which was very difficult to deal with...the field notes, what were meant to be sort of academic field notes, did turn into sort of rambles and rants about ... my feelings and emotions.” (Smithers, 34:45)
- Reflective Practice: Such reflexivity, while initially feeling like a failure, ultimately deepened her understanding and analysis.
7. Theoretical Framework: Foucault and Heterotopia (39:32–44:09)
- Foucault’s Influence: Smithers draws on Foucault’s concepts of power and governance, but particularly finds "heterotopia" (spaces that are 'other,' layered, and ambivalent) helpful to analyze schools that serve both as educational institutions and tourist spectacles (39:44).
- Discovery of heterotopia came via tourism studies and a reference to the film "The Island."
- She shifted away from Bourdieu’s "habitus-field-capital" model, seeking a more flexible theoretical approach that better fit her data.
8. Writing Style and Turning Thesis into Book (44:09–50:55)
- Narrative Strength: Smithers’ accessible, metaphor-rich writing style is lauded by the host; she attributes it in part to needing to explain her work to her family and a general tendency towards metaphor (44:09).
- From Dissertation to Book: The process was emotionally taxing, involving painful choices about which topics and chapters to "kill" (eliminate) for a wider audience. She notes the surplus of data and the difficulty in condensing the history and context for the book format (46:05).
9. Reflecting on the Book’s Reception & Future Work (51:48–54:15)
- Academic vs. Public Response: The book found a warmer reception in public media (e.g., The Conversation, South African radio) than academic circles, perhaps due to its interdisciplinary nature (51:50).
- Next Projects: Smithers is researching "parent and citizen committees" in Australian schools—organizations intended as representative bodies but increasingly focused on fundraising (52:46).
10. Problematization as an Orientation (54:15–58:08)
- Smithers describes her orientation as one of "problematizing" received wisdom, stemming from her early fascination with sociology and personal experiences confronting commercialization and inequality.
- “I have this innate love of what I would call like a sociological worldview...once you start seeing the world in that way, it’s really hard to unsee it.” (Smithers, 57:17)
Notable Quotes
- On the “movie” metaphor of philanthropic tourism:
“Everybody just knows what they have to do because it’s a movie they've seen a hundred times.” (Smithers, quoting her father, 06:03) - On the ethical challenge of school-based tourism:
“What makes someone feel that they have the right to visually inspect and decide that that child is needy?” (Smithers, 10:00) - On the adaptability required for qualitative research:
“I had to come to terms with the fact that part of that [art-based research] wouldn’t be as big or as detailed as I had hoped...that’s okay and you haven’t failed as a researcher.” (Smithers, 33:36) - On positionality in the field:
“The field notes, what were meant to be sort of academic field notes, did turn into sort of rambles and rants...that did actually, I would say, help to kind of give me that outlet.” (Smithers, 34:45) - On the value of problematization:
“I have this innate love of what I would call like a sociological worldview...once you start seeing the world in that way, it’s really hard to unsee it.” (Smithers, 57:17)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 01:20 – Introduction and central metaphor
- 02:25 – Reading the book’s opening, unpacking the movie metaphor
- 07:46 – Selecting Zimbabwe as a site
- 13:00 – Case studies and site selection process
- 19:18 – Research methodology, fieldwork in the school and NGO
- 21:24 – Art-based methods, challenges, and adaptations
- 24:58 – Navigating IRB and ethics procedures
- 28:07 – Practical advice for doctoral research and fieldwork
- 34:11 – Bracketing, field notes, personal experiences
- 39:44 – Theoretical turn to Foucault and heterotopia
- 44:09 – Writing style and translation to book format
- 46:05 – Emotional process of turning dissertation into a book
- 51:48 – Reception of the book inside and outside academia
- 52:46 – Current and ongoing research projects
- 54:15 – The roots of a “problematizing” orientation
- 58:17 – Where to find more on Smithers’ work
Conclusion
This interview offers a rare, candid look into the realities and complexities behind research in philanthropic school tourism, highlighting both the tangible and emotional labor involved. Smithers challenges simplistic narratives and invites listeners to question "win-win" discourses, underlining the importance of reflexivity, flexibility, and a problematizing perspective in both academic and practical work surrounding philanthropy, tourism, and education.
Where to Learn More: