2024 Theses Doctoral

Philanthro-tourism: Yachting, Science, and the New Explorers

Straub, Dakota

In this dissertation, I tell the story of how philanthropic-like entities emerged in collaboration with the yachting industry to become highly publicized icons of ocean exploration in the 21st century. Through interviews, participant observation, and media analysis, I argue that these entities are different in several ways from conventional philanthropic organizations.

To elucidate this distinction, I call the phenomenon “Marine Philanthro-tourism,” that is, a philanthropic-like activity promoted by the yachting industry and organized on behalf of ultrawealthy ocean enthusiasts, which involves bringing scientists aboard privately owned vessels to conduct research. If you are interested in the anthropology of science, and ocean science in particular, then you may learn from this dissertation about one way in which private capital is entering that field through the interests of yacht owners and their advisors.

If you are interested in a critical analysis of the philanthropy of the global elite, then I will attempt to show you how the phenomenon of marine philanthro-tourism, admittedly just a very tiny sliver of the ultrawealthy’s activities in the world, can nevertheless elucidate significant aspects of their contemporary sociopolitical role. Readers with an interest in the anthropology of tourism may also find this dissertation pertinent as I examine how a boutique tourism industry has helped to develop a form of philanthropic activity.