Volunteers and U.S. Society

Two years of working in the Peace Corps definitely leads a person to be critical of U.S. society. A large percentage of volunteers joined the Peace Corps in the first place because they did not feel ready to commit themselves to a semi-permanent job or professional school. Some volunteers had joined the system and realized that it was too restrictive for them. One volunteer in Guatemala had been an executive for Dun and Bradstreet, another had been an executive for an advertising firm in Manhattan, another had been an insurance salesman.

After living in a rural, agricultural community for several years, the volunteer begins to view the highly industrialized United States with its problems of energy shortage and pollution as a distorted society. Compared with the poverty of the farmers he works with, the level of consumption or the middle and upper-middle classes in the United States appears unnecessary and wasteful.

The volunteer proves to himself that he can succeed in a tough situation. He must work in a language and culture which is new to him. He must accustom himself to a standard of living which does not include that which he previously took for granted in the United States such as hot, running water or meat. Some volunteers live in inaccessible communities for weeks without contact with other Americans.

A dramatic difference between the United States and an underdeveloped country to the 22-24 year old volunteer, is that he is noticed and respected in the local community. He stands out because of his physical appearance. He has had more education than almost anyone else, and he receives a comparatively high wage. (The Peace Corps adjusts wages to the standard of living in the country. A volunteer in Guatemala makes $150 per month.) When he returns to the United States, his skills and assets, put in the context of the high level of training in this country, become minor and he has difficulty in getting a good job. Although the volunteer knows that he is capable, he often feels threatened or challenged by the level of competition in the United States.

When they have finished their term, some volunteers will extend their stay for one or two years more. Occasionally a volunteer will marry a Guatemalan and decide to remain indefinitely. Many of them realize that they prefer the rural way-of-life and will either buy land in Latin America or join an agricultural commune when they return to the United States. One volunteer was writing a novel and planned to work for a magazine in New York City while he tried to get it published. Another decided to get a job in the Caribbean and learn French. Those few who do return to enter into law school or business remain conscious of the social pressures in the United States.