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  • © 2017

Caring in Crisis? Humanitarianism, the Public and NGOs

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Provides the first evidence-based account of why and how people respond (or fail to respond) to humanitarian communication
  • Considers both public responses and NGO intentions, drawing on extensive interviews with both groups
  • Brings academic perspectives and NGO perspectives into dialogue with one another
  • Provides a multi-disciplinary account informed by psychosocial studies, media and communications, social psychology, and sociology

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Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiii
  2. Caring in Crisis and the Crisis of Caring: Toward a New Agenda

    • Irene Bruna Seu, Shani Orgad
    Pages 1-20
  3. Public Responses and the ‘3M’ Model

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 21-21
    2. Connecting to Suffering

      • Paul Hoggett
      Pages 59-63
    3. The Mediation of Caring

      • Sonia Livingstone
      Pages 65-71
  4. Mediating Care

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 81-81
    2. Humanitarian Communication and its Limits

      • Monika Krause
      Pages 111-117
  5. Moving the Debate and Practice Forward

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 125-125
  6. Back Matter

    Pages 151-165

About this book

Drawing on an original UK-wide study of public responses to humanitarian issues and how NGOs communicate them, this timely book provides the first evidence-based psychosocial account of how and why people respond or not to messages about distant suffering. The book highlights what NGOs seek to achieve in their communications and explores how their approach and hopes match or don’t match what the public wants, thinks and feels about distant suffering

Reviews

“The findings of this book hit home so hard and so true, it should be compulsory reading for any communications professional serious about promoting social justice. If you can read this and remain unconvinced the sector needs to change, you need to quit your job.” (Paul Vanags, Head of Public Fundraising Oxfam GB, UK)

“This volume presents cutting edge multi-method research which will contribute greatly to our understanding of strategies that can successfully motivate bystanders, NGOS, and governments to act in positive ways about humanitarian issues. This carefully-designed volume offers a careful, incisive analysis and impressively includes essays by both influential academics and advocates. A first-rate book!” (Alison Dundes Renteln, Professor of Political Science, University of Southern California, USA)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Psychosocial Studies, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom

    Irene Bruna Seu

  • Department of Media and Communications, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, United Kingdom

    Shani Orgad

About the authors

Irene Bruna Seu is Reader in the Department of Psychosocial Studies at Birkbeck, University of London, UK, and a Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist.



Shani Orgad is Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Communications, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK. 

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 44.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access