Lenses of Safari: Post-Colonialism, Wildlife Tourism, and Lack of Representation of Skilled Tanzanians in Western Photography and Narrative Krista Simonis
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University of Portland Pilot Scholars Graduate Theses and Dissertations 4-15-2016 Lenses of Safari: Post-colonialism, Wildlife Tourism, and Lack of Representation of Skilled Tanzanians in Western Photography and Narrative Krista Simonis Follow this and additional works at: http://pilotscholars.up.edu/etd Part of the Communication Commons Recommended Citation Simonis, Krista, "Lenses of Safari: Post-colonialism, Wildlife Tourism, and Lack of Representation of Skilled Tanzanians in Western Photography and Narrative" (2016). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 13. http://pilotscholars.up.edu/etd/13 This Master Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Pilot Scholars. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Pilot Scholars. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Running Head: LENSES OF SAFARI !1 Lenses of Safari: Post-colonialism, Wildlife Tourism, and Lack of Representation of Skilled Tanzanians in Western Photography and Narrative Krista Simonis M.A. Candidate, University of Portland 2016 Thesis submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for a degree of Master of Arts in Communication Studies © Krista Simonis April 15, 2016 LENSES OF SAFARI !3 Abstract This project consists of qualitative interviews with 26 safari guides in Tanzania, and investigates the relationship between colonial framing of Africa and the impact the ‘single story’ of Africa has had on safari guides and the perception of their skills by Western tourists. This project is an attempt to challenge the dominant ‘single story’ of Africa that has been partially flattened, I argue, through the touristic gaze, wildlife photography and Western (mis)representations. Beginning with the interpretive-critical assumption that there is no objective truth and guided by post-colonial theory, qualitative interviews, crystallization and arts-informed methods help answer questions about three main topics. One: the impact of the single story on guides (including the misperceptions of guests and the idea of ambassadors), two: the role of servitude in relation to skills (reviewing what skills guides have before discussing the recognition of those skills), and three: the effects of tourism and the Western gaze on Tanzania. My primary aim in this exploration is to make further sense of the essential role of safari guides and reveal how their role as “others” has affected their ability to receive credit for their knowledge and skills. In addition to this manuscript, this project also consists of a 20-minute documentary film that attempts to show multiple facets of Tanzanians, specifically the safari guides who make touristic experiences possible. Keywords: photography, tourism, postcolonial theory, neocolonialism, metaphor, representation, scholartistry, crystallization LENSES OF SAFARI !4 Table of Contents Introduction ......................................................................................................7 Definitions of Key Terms ..............................................................................10 Rationale ........................................................................................................11 Background Data on Tanzania & Tourism ...................................................12 Theoretical Lenses .........................................................................................15 Epideictic Rhetoric ..............................................................................15 “The West and the Rest” ......................................................................15 Framing Theory ...................................................................................16 Format ...........................................................................................................17 Literature Review ...........................................................................................19 The “Dark” Continent of Africa ....................................................................20 Media and Literature Portrayal ............................................................20 The Metaphor of Dark .........................................................................22 The Continuing Influence of Imperialism .....................................................26 Postcolonial Theory .............................................................................26 Neo-Colonialism ..................................................................................29 Tanzania’s Monetary Ties ....................................................................31 Tourism as Neocolonialism ..................................................................32 Photography ..................................................................................................34 Politics of Looking ...............................................................................35 Wildlife Photography ...........................................................................36 Justification ...................................................................................................38 Research Questions .......................................................................................38 Methods ...........................................................................................................39 Methodology .................................................................................................39 Scholartistry .........................................................................................40 Crystallization ......................................................................................41 Participants ....................................................................................................43 LENSES OF SAFARI !5 Procedures .....................................................................................................43 Instrument: Interview Protocol ......................................................................44 Analysis .........................................................................................................45 Results ..............................................................................................................46 Researcher Reflection.................................................................................... 46 Guides and the Single Story of Africa ...........................................................50 Misperceptions of Tourists ...................................................................50 Ambassadors ........................................................................................54 Role of Servitude in Relation to Skills ..........................................................57 Guiding Skills ......................................................................................59 Recognition of skills ............................................................................67 Effects of Tourism and the Western Gaze on Tanzania .................................73 Westernized Clothing ...........................................................................74 English Language ................................................................................75 Support for Orphanages .......................................................................77 Summary of Results ......................................................................................80 Discussion ........................................................................................................82 Summary .......................................................................................................82 Implications ...................................................................................................84 Theoretical Implications ......................................................................85 Methodological Implications ...............................................................88 Practical Implications ..........................................................................89 Limitations ....................................................................................................90 Future Directions ...........................................................................................92 References ........................................................................................................93 LENSES OF SAFARI !6 Acknowledgement I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who has helped me throughout this project. First and foremost to the guides who agreed to speak with me and be a part of this research. Secondly, to the people I met in Tanzania who helped me throughout my time there, including my AirBnb hosts, my taxi driver, Irene and everyone at Green Horizon Safaris, and Mama. Thirdly, to my family and friends who have supported me throughout this process, making sure I remained human and ate food every once in a while. I also wish to extend a thank you to the University of Portland’s digital lab for assisting me with technical details and camera equipment. Finally, my sincere thanks goes to my thesis advisor, Dr. Vail Fletcher for her invaluable assistance and continuing guidance despite her busy schedule. LENSES OF SAFARI !7 Lenses of Safari: Post-colonialism and the Lack of Representation of Skilled Tanzanians in Photography and Narrative I had no idea what to expect when visiting Tanzania for the first time. Like any good tourist, I'd packed