Welcome to the Bubble: Experiences of Liminality and Communitas among Summer Camp Counsellors

Abstract

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.

Camp Research: What? So What? What’s Next?

“…Researchers have moved beyond descriptive survey designs, although these approaches remain useful. The papers here demonstrate examples of literature reviews (e.g., Sendak et al, 2018;Olsen et al, 2018), mixed methods (e.g., Sorenson, 2018;Whittington & Garst, 2018), qualitative analyses (Baker, 2018;Martin, 2018), archival data (e.g., Bird & Subramaniam, 2018), and rigorous instrument development (e.g., Bennett, 2018;Gillard, 2018;Lewis et al, 2018). Although Perry (2018) used primarily a qualitative approach, he also introduced his personal experience in teaching and experiencing race evasiveness in camps, almost akin to an autoethnographic approach.…”

“It’s Not Real Life”: Liminality and Summer Camp Employment

“…A key component of liminal spaces is the separation from one's previous way of life (Van Gennep, 1909/1960). The notion of separate time and space is a well-established concept in the summer camp literature for campers (e.g., Garst et al, 2011;Sibthorp et al, 2020;Wilson et al, 2019) and staff (e.g., Baker, 2018;Johnson et al, 2011;Waskul, 1998); however, discussions of separation from technology and smartphones for staff within this setting is a recent addition to summer camp staff scholarship. The introduction of smartphones, constant psychological and social connection to one's social network and the world, broadly, and increased negative feelings associated with smartphone use (e.g., Pantic et al, 2012;Skierkowski & Wood, 2012;Twenge et al, 2021) present an even greater need for young people to engage in liminal spaces.…”

“…Camp remains an important summertime setting as it offers participants and staff opportunities for development (e.g., Povilaitis et al, 2021; Sibthorp et al, 2020). Central to this paper, authors have posited that summer camp may serve as a liminal space for campers and staff (Baker, 2018; Foote, 2014; Harold, 2015). Specifically, researchers have identified many qualities of the camp setting that may create liminal spaces for both campers and staff: separation from one’s typical world (Garst et al, 2011; Johnson et al, 2011; Sibthorp et al, 2020; Waskul, 1998; Wilson et al, 2019), opposition of the camp space to “real life” (Foote, 2014; Waskul, 1998), the camp “bubble” (Baker, 2018; Johnson et al, 2011), independence from individuals at home (Wilson et al, 2019), communal living (Garst et al, 2011), lack of external influence on camp culture (Johnson et al, 2011; Wilson et al, 2019), and separation from technology (Foster & McCabe, 2015; Garst et al, 2009; Wilson et al, 2019).…”

“…Constant smartphone use has been associated with negative outcomes including loneliness (Twenge et al, 2019) and anxiety (Skierkowski & Wood, 2012), and opportunities to be separated from smartphones may be beneficial for young people. One setting that has previously been described as a liminal space, is often free from technology, and has been linked with development is summer camp (Baker, 2018). The purpose of this paper was to consider summer camp employment as a liminal space and to understand how staff may perceive this setting as a liminal space.…”

Imaginary futures: Liminoid advertising and consumer identity

“…The concept of liminality, and the connected notion of communitas, the almost intuitive temporary and transient bond of collective kinship experienced within and through the group, have gained wide currency in social science (e.g. Szakolczai, 2000: Horvath et al, 2009Sharpe, 2005;Taheri et al, 2016;Baker, 2018), usually in order to point to a state of flux and imaginative potential in the midst of personal and/or social change. Sharpe (2005) argued that communitas tends to emerge when "people step out of their structural roles and into an antistructural sphere, ….…”