Burden or benefit? : imperial benevolence and its legacies / edited by Helen Gilbert and Chris Tiffin.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Gilbert, Helen, 1956-

Tiffin, Chris.

Series:

Philanthropic and nonprofit studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Benevolence--Colonies--Great Britain--History.

Benevolence.

Colonies.

Great Britain.

History.

Social ethics--Colonies--Great Britain--History.

Social ethics.

Physical Description:

ix, 229 pages ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

Bloomington : Indiana University Press, [2008]

Summary:

In the name of benevolence, philanthropy, and humanitarian aid, individuals, groups, and nations have sought to assist others and to redress forms of suffering and deprivation. Yet the inherent imbalances of power between the giver and the recipient of this benevolence have called into question the motives and rationale for such assistance. These essays on the effects of international aid examine the evolution of the ideas and practices of benevolence, chiefly in the context of British imperialism, from the late eighteenth century to the present. The authors consider more than a dozen examples of practical and theoretical benevolence from the anti-slavery movement of the late eighteenth century to such modern activities as refugee asylum in Europe, opposition to female genital mutilation in Africa, fundraising for charities, and restoring the wetlands in southern, post-Saddam Iraq. The book's broad aim is to offer a complex and nuanced study of benevolence that avoids simple moralistic judgments while exploring a range of ethical, political, social, and cultural issues linked with benevolent pursuits and policies.

Contents:

1 Introduction: What's Wrong with Benevolence? / Chris Tiffin, Helen Gilbert 1

2 A Short History of (Imperial) Benevolence / Patrick Brantlinger 13

Part 1 Colonial Burdens?

3 Thomas Fowell Buxton and the Networks of British Humanitarianism / Alan Lester 31

4 Settler Colonialism, Utility, Romance: E. G. Wakefield's Letter from Sydney / Lisa O'Connel 49

5 Benevolence, Slavery, and the Periodicals / Chris Tiffin 61

6 "This Nineteenth Century of Progress and Humanity": The Life and Times of Frederick Weld (1823-1891) / Leigh Dale 72

7 Women, Philanthropy, and Imperialism in Early Nineteenth-Century Britain / Sarah Richardson 90

8 Blixen's Africa: Wonderland of the Self / Kirsten Holst Petersen 103

Part 2 Contemporary Benefits?

9 From Benevolence to Partnership: The Persistence of Colonial Legacies in Aotearoa-New Zealand / Chris Prentice 119

10 Refusing Benevolence: Gandhi, Nehru, and the Ethics of Postcolonial Relations / Rajeswari Sunder Rajan 136

11 Rescuing African Women and Girls from Female Genital Practices: A Benevolent and Civilizing Mission / Wairimu Ngaruiya Njambi 160

12 Benevolence and Humiliation: Thinking Migrants, Integration, and Security in Europe / Prem Kumar Rajaram 180

13 Hearts, Minds, and Wetlands: Stakeholders and Ecological Restoration from the Everglades to the Mesopotamian Marshlands / William E. O'Brien 198.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780253350770

0253350778

9780253219602

0253219604

OCLC:

171049100