Disquieting gifts : humanitarianism in New Delhi / Erica Bornstein.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bornstein, Erica, 1963-

Series:

Stanford studies in human rights.

Stanford studies in human rights

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Charity.

Hindu giving.

Humanitarianism--India--New Delhi.

Humanitarianism.

Philanthropists--India--New Delhi.

Philanthropists.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (234 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Stanford, Calif. : Stanford University Press, c2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

While most people would not consider sponsoring an orphan's education to be in the same category as international humanitarian aid, both acts are linked by the desire to give. Many studies focus on the outcomes of humanitarian work, but the impulses that inspire people to engage in the first place receive less attention. Disquieting Gifts takes a close look at people working on humanitarian projects in New Delhi to explore why they engage in philanthropic work, what humanitarianism looks like to them, and the ethical and political tangles they encounter. Motivated by debates surrounding Marcel Mauss's The Gift, Bornstein investigates specific cases of people engaged in humanitarian work to reveal different perceptions of assistance to strangers versus assistance to kin, how the impulse to give to others in distress is tempered by its regulation, suspicions about recipient suitability, and why the figure of the orphan is so valuable in humanitarian discourse. The book also focuses on vital humanitarian efforts that often go undocumented and ignored and explores the role of empathy in humanitarian work.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Prologue

Introduction

1 Philanthropy

2 Trust

3 Orphans

4 Experience

5 Empathy

Epilogue

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780804782081

0804782083

OCLC:

785811672