Critical Philanthropy and Humanitarianism

Much of my recent work has looked at the relationship between international humanitarian aid and the entrenchment of neoliberal forms of governance and citizenship. I have focused in particular on philanthropic actors such as the US-based Bill and Melinda Gates foundation and celebrity humanitarians like Bono. My research has shown how the humanitarian practices of these groups and individuals have shaped education in favor of neoliberal reform, while lending legitimacy to market-oriented conceptions of social value along with “factivist” models of rationality that combine quantitative data with emotional practices. I have also shown how humanitarian governance has been instrumental in the construction of global market subjects and the expansion of American imperialism.