Doing Good, Feeling Bad: Humanitarian Emotion in Crisis

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Standard

Doing Good, Feeling Bad : Humanitarian Emotion in Crisis. / Sharma, Devika.

In: Journal of Aesthetics & Culture, 2017.

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Sharma, D 2017, 'Doing Good, Feeling Bad: Humanitarian Emotion in Crisis', Journal of Aesthetics & Culture. https://doi.org/10.1080/20004214.2017.1370357

APA

Sharma, D. (2017). Doing Good, Feeling Bad: Humanitarian Emotion in Crisis. Journal of Aesthetics & Culture. https://doi.org/10.1080/20004214.2017.1370357

Vancouver

Sharma D. Doing Good, Feeling Bad: Humanitarian Emotion in Crisis. Journal of Aesthetics & Culture. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1080/20004214.2017.1370357

Author

Sharma, Devika. / Doing Good, Feeling Bad : Humanitarian Emotion in Crisis. In: Journal of Aesthetics & Culture. 2017.

Bibtex

@article{dee78c6722454b458e7137f1be7474a1,
title = "Doing Good, Feeling Bad: Humanitarian Emotion in Crisis",
abstract = "For decades humanitarianism has captured and shaped the dreams of the populations of the global North, dreams of a better world, of a common humanity, of goodness, of solidarity, and of global healing. In this article I argue that when taking art and cultural objects into account humanitarian reason seems however to be in some sort of crisis. Looking at the interpretation of humanitarianism undertaken by cultural artifacts such as film, theater, contemporary art, literary fiction, and humanitarian communication, we realize that such cultural phenomena regularly reflect not only upon various humanitarian crises, but also upon a crisis within the humanitarian imaginary itself. I read two scenes of collective interpretation of the everyday humanitarian call to action, which is always a call to donate. The first scene is from the 2012 edition of the recurring televised Danish fundraising show, Danmarks Indsamling [Denmark Collects], and the second is from Norwegian playwright Arne Lygre{\textquoteright}s 2011 play, I Disappear. What is at stake in both of these scenes is the status of humanitarianism as a good-enough fantasy and promise of doing good.",
keywords = "Faculty of Humanities, Moral sentiments; compassion; aid telethons; postdramatic theater; Arne Lygre; Sianne Ngai, Moral sentiments, compassion, aesthetic conventions, aid telethons, postdramatic theater, Sianne Ngai, Arne Lygre",
author = "Devika Sharma",
year = "2017",
doi = "10.1080/20004214.2017.1370357",
language = "English",
journal = "Journal of Aesthetics and Culture",
issn = "2000-4214",
publisher = "Taylor & Francis",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Doing Good, Feeling Bad

T2 - Humanitarian Emotion in Crisis

AU - Sharma, Devika

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - For decades humanitarianism has captured and shaped the dreams of the populations of the global North, dreams of a better world, of a common humanity, of goodness, of solidarity, and of global healing. In this article I argue that when taking art and cultural objects into account humanitarian reason seems however to be in some sort of crisis. Looking at the interpretation of humanitarianism undertaken by cultural artifacts such as film, theater, contemporary art, literary fiction, and humanitarian communication, we realize that such cultural phenomena regularly reflect not only upon various humanitarian crises, but also upon a crisis within the humanitarian imaginary itself. I read two scenes of collective interpretation of the everyday humanitarian call to action, which is always a call to donate. The first scene is from the 2012 edition of the recurring televised Danish fundraising show, Danmarks Indsamling [Denmark Collects], and the second is from Norwegian playwright Arne Lygre’s 2011 play, I Disappear. What is at stake in both of these scenes is the status of humanitarianism as a good-enough fantasy and promise of doing good.

AB - For decades humanitarianism has captured and shaped the dreams of the populations of the global North, dreams of a better world, of a common humanity, of goodness, of solidarity, and of global healing. In this article I argue that when taking art and cultural objects into account humanitarian reason seems however to be in some sort of crisis. Looking at the interpretation of humanitarianism undertaken by cultural artifacts such as film, theater, contemporary art, literary fiction, and humanitarian communication, we realize that such cultural phenomena regularly reflect not only upon various humanitarian crises, but also upon a crisis within the humanitarian imaginary itself. I read two scenes of collective interpretation of the everyday humanitarian call to action, which is always a call to donate. The first scene is from the 2012 edition of the recurring televised Danish fundraising show, Danmarks Indsamling [Denmark Collects], and the second is from Norwegian playwright Arne Lygre’s 2011 play, I Disappear. What is at stake in both of these scenes is the status of humanitarianism as a good-enough fantasy and promise of doing good.

KW - Faculty of Humanities

KW - Moral sentiments; compassion; aid telethons; postdramatic theater; Arne Lygre; Sianne Ngai

KW - Moral sentiments, compassion, aesthetic conventions, aid telethons, postdramatic theater, Sianne Ngai, Arne Lygre

U2 - 10.1080/20004214.2017.1370357

DO - 10.1080/20004214.2017.1370357

M3 - Journal article

JO - Journal of Aesthetics and Culture

JF - Journal of Aesthetics and Culture

SN - 2000-4214

ER -

ID: 182935693