Welcome to the Bubble: Experiences of Liminality and Communitas among Summer Camp Counsellors
Summer camps provide a special time and space for youth growth and transformation. This growth is possible, in part, due to the physical and social isolation that contribute to the liminality of traditional residential camps. Camps act as a sort of ‘bubble’ in which alternative realities, norms and...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Clemson University Press
2018-04-01
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Series: | Journal of Youth Development |
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Online Access: | http://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/565 |
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author | Mandi Baker |
author_facet | Mandi Baker |
author_sort | Mandi Baker |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Summer camps provide a special time and space for youth growth and transformation. This growth is possible, in part, due to the physical and social isolation that contribute to the liminality of traditional residential camps. Camps act as a sort of ‘bubble’ in which alternative realities, norms and identities emerge. For many campers and camp counsellors, the community and personal relationships that develop at camp produce feelings of acceptance and belonging. Positive camp experiences do not occur by happenstance and as such, youthful camp counsellors often feel immense pressure to deliver on the promises that camps offer. This article explores the challenges faced by counsellors as they seek to create and maintain this liminal space. This paper discusses camp counsellors’ own reflections on their personal struggles with social isolation and the need to be accepted, effects of gossip in the close-knit community of camp, a lack of private time or space, and the emotional demands of caring for campers. The article concludes by suggesting how we might reconsider camp counsellor experiences and offers strategies to support counsellors as they navigate and negotiate camp experiences for both themselves and their campers. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-08T08:02:58Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-cca4a80465d64bcd94d06350787c4692 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2325-4017 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-08T08:02:58Z |
publishDate | 2018-04-01 |
publisher | Clemson University Press |
record_format | Article |
series | Journal of Youth Development |
spelling | doaj.art-cca4a80465d64bcd94d06350787c46922024-02-02T11:52:38ZengClemson University PressJournal of Youth Development2325-40172018-04-01131-2244310.5195/jyd.2018.565494Welcome to the Bubble: Experiences of Liminality and Communitas among Summer Camp CounsellorsMandi Baker0Blue Mountains International Hotel management School, Torrens UniversitySummer camps provide a special time and space for youth growth and transformation. This growth is possible, in part, due to the physical and social isolation that contribute to the liminality of traditional residential camps. Camps act as a sort of ‘bubble’ in which alternative realities, norms and identities emerge. For many campers and camp counsellors, the community and personal relationships that develop at camp produce feelings of acceptance and belonging. Positive camp experiences do not occur by happenstance and as such, youthful camp counsellors often feel immense pressure to deliver on the promises that camps offer. This article explores the challenges faced by counsellors as they seek to create and maintain this liminal space. This paper discusses camp counsellors’ own reflections on their personal struggles with social isolation and the need to be accepted, effects of gossip in the close-knit community of camp, a lack of private time or space, and the emotional demands of caring for campers. The article concludes by suggesting how we might reconsider camp counsellor experiences and offers strategies to support counsellors as they navigate and negotiate camp experiences for both themselves and their campers.http://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/565summer campyouth employmentliminalitycommunityemotional demands |
spellingShingle | Mandi Baker Welcome to the Bubble: Experiences of Liminality and Communitas among Summer Camp Counsellors Journal of Youth Development summer camp youth employment liminality community emotional demands |
title | Welcome to the Bubble: Experiences of Liminality and Communitas among Summer Camp Counsellors |
title_full | Welcome to the Bubble: Experiences of Liminality and Communitas among Summer Camp Counsellors |
title_fullStr | Welcome to the Bubble: Experiences of Liminality and Communitas among Summer Camp Counsellors |
title_full_unstemmed | Welcome to the Bubble: Experiences of Liminality and Communitas among Summer Camp Counsellors |
title_short | Welcome to the Bubble: Experiences of Liminality and Communitas among Summer Camp Counsellors |
title_sort | welcome to the bubble experiences of liminality and communitas among summer camp counsellors |
topic | summer camp youth employment liminality community emotional demands |
url | http://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/565 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT mandibaker welcometothebubbleexperiencesofliminalityandcommunitasamongsummercampcounsellors |