Privilegiets problem: Mellem den humanitære og den kyniske fornuft

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In this article I explore a contemporary structure of feeling closely but ambivalently related to what moral anthropologist Didier Fassin has termed ”humanitarian reason”. I label this specific affective disposition ‘the predicament of privilege’. In the first part of the article I relate the predicament of privilege to various critiques of humanitarianism for being a ”feeling culture” depoliticizing questions of inequality, justice and social conflict. The latter part of the article examines ”the predicament of privilege” by way of analyzing a recurring Danish TV-fundraiser in terms of the various ugly feelings represented, produced and circulated by this particular charity show. My overall suggestion is that we can hardly understand the affective-moral dimensions of globalization without exploring the cultural forms and social functions of the ugly, unprestigious and amoral feelings pertaining to being globally privileged: sentiments such as boredom, indifference, compassion fatigue, cynicism, bad conscience and sheer reluctance to engage emotionally in the ethical claims made on us.
Bidragets oversatte titelThe Predicament of Privilege: Between Humanitarian and Cynical Reason
OriginalsprogDansk
TidsskriftK&K. Kultur og Klasse
Vol/bind41
Udgave nummer116
Sider (fra-til)89-102
ISSN0905-6998
StatusUdgivet - 2013

    Forskningsområder

  • Det Humanistiske Fakultet - Affekt, medlidenhed, Sianne Ngai, Didier Fassin, humanitarisme, Danmarksindsamlingen

ID: 57780396