week 3 Flashcards
crisis of pity (boltanski)
shift in people’s response to suffering; where a powerful emotion used to motivate action, it has become less effective due to media exposure and scepticism about sincerity
‘shock effect’ appeal
shocking portrayal of suffering
‘positive image’ appeals
positive portrayal of helping suffering
bystander effect
people’s indifierence to acting on suffering, as a reaction to negative emotion that leaves people feeling powerless
boomerang effect
people’s indignation not towards the imagined evil-doer but towards guilt-tripping message of ‘shock effect’ campaign itself
positive image appeals characteristics
1) personalizes suffering by focalizing appeal on distinct individuals as actors, 2) singularizes donors by addressing each one as a person who can contribute to improve sufferer’s life
risks of positive imagery
problems seem fixed & happy children there resemble happy children here, so no need to take action
contemporary styles of human communication
1) disengages public action from pity, 2) engages reflexivity of spectator, rely on own judgement for action
properties of moral agency in contemporary styles of human communication
1) technologization of action, 2) de-emotionalization of the cause
dimensions of technologization of action
first dimension: use of internet as the vehicle of action on suffering, second dimension: absence of justification in appeals, just aura no verbalization.
global north/global south
broad categorization of countries, usually along historical colonial lines, north referring to wealthier/industrialized nations and south to less-developed nations
white gaze
perspective of the dominant white, western observer, implicitly assumed to be neutral/unbiased, could lead to stereotypical representations.
CCN effect
suggests that media coverage drives humanitarian responses and foreign policy by government
crisis triangle
interconnected relationship of news media, humanitarian organizations and government policy makers
parachute journalism
journalists sent to cover a crisis, while they have little to no prior knowledge of local context, resulting in superficial reporting
poverty/disaster porn
the use of graphic and often exploitative images of suffering to evoke pity and solicit donations
instagrammable humanitarianism
trend of volunteers and aid workers, particularly young expats, sharing idealized or self-promoting images on social media, potentially overshadowing the needs and perspectives of affected communities
white saviour complex
belief by white/western individuals that they need to “save” people in developing countries (neocolonialism)
risk society
a systematic way of dealing with hazards and insecurities induced and introduced
by modernization itself (eg. climate change)
humanitarianism
Human, impartial, neutral andindependent assistance to victims
of conflict and natural disasters
utilitarianism
right or wrong is decided based on its outcome
the ironic spectator
a detached, skeptical observer of suffering, shaped by media overexposure and a loss of trust in humanitarian narratives
compassion fatigue
emotional exhaustion from constant exposure to suffering, leading to numbness and reduced empathy
