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Becoming and Being a Camp Counsellor pp 167–209Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Being a Camp Counsellor: Emotions at Work

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Part of the book series: Leisure Studies in a Global Era ((LSGE))

Abstract

In this chapter, I bring Foucauldian concepts of power-knowledge and governmentality together with the sociology of emotions to illustrate how the delivery of camp shapes the emotion work and experiences of camp counsellors. This chapter discusses three major themes in regard to the emotional demands of "being" a camp counsellor. The first theme considers the precariousness of the assumed happiness of camp employment and the implied need to govern oneself to be happy. The second theme considers the demands of caring that includes the variety and extremes of camper behaviours camp counsellors are expected to face with insight and compassion. The third theme focuses on the social pressures of living in a small and close-knit community. This section closes by considering the ways that nostalgia discourses shape post-camp experiences and memories.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Five staff manuals were collected during data collection in 2009 from interview participants. Pseudonyms have been used for the camp names on the manuals for confidentiality. Where data is used from a camp manual it will be indicated.

  2. 2.

    Sterning is the position that steers the canoe from the back.

  3. 3.

    Eric worked for a camp that specifically recruited campers from disadvantaged or marginalised families/populations.

  4. 4.

    Sara worked for a camp specifically for children with cancer and their siblings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Torrens University, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Mandi Baker

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  1. Mandi Baker
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Baker, M. (2020). Being a Camp Counsellor: Emotions at Work. In: Becoming and Being a Camp Counsellor. Leisure Studies in a Global Era. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32501-5_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32501-5_6

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-32500-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-32501-5

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