Humanitarianism and Social Insecurities

4.0 credits

Humanitarianism, understood as the ultimate of ethical acts, took root in the modern world as an effort to remake the world so that it better served the interests of humanity. Against the “hegemonic corporate forces of predatory capitalism,” aid agencies perform the work of welfare workers who are part of the network of moral discourses, religious beliefs, ethical commitments, and international norms that generate an obligation to help distant strangers.” Humanitarianism and Social Insecurities engages students in a critical understanding of humanitarian discourses and practices. With the recognition that “noble actions can have negative and unintended consequences”, this course takes the student on an intellectual journey for a better understanding of humanitarian intervention, from the movement to abolish the slave trade and slavery to humanitarian disasters of our age by way of colonial invasions that were framed as humanitarian ventures.