Aidnography

In what seems like a digital lifetime ago I asked: Should I consider a PhD in International Development Studies? in 2011. My central points are still valid and the post is one of my most successful in terms of readership and comments. The main audience for this post were a young(er) undergraduates or professionals who contemplate doing a PhD in international development as career advancement. Fast forward to a 2017 piece in the Guardian about aid worker midlife crisis , discussions in forums such as 50 Shades of Aid or direct talks with aid workers and it seems that an update or extension of my original post could be a good idea to kick off the start of a new academic year. The basic question is whether it is worth exploring PhD options as a mid-career, midlife aid worker with an intention to transition from the development industry into academia. tl:dr: Don’t do it! Your aid work(er) experiences are pretty much meaningless for a PhD project In my original post I wrote about ‘boring

Hi all, Summer is over, the new semester around the corner - and your favorite weekly link review is back on the Internet! I am not even trying to catch up; I sprinkled in a few articles and reports that I have come across in the past few weeks, but other than that we are reading fresh stuff! Development news: The RCT debate continues; Oxfam might inherit 41 million pounds! The US military-industrial complex in Niger; Canada has its first poverty reduction strategy! Blockchain won't fix Kenya(n elections); the UN is looking at internship programs: Lithuanian celebrities in Ethiopia; what would inclusive photography really look like? EveryDay Mumbai changing perceptions; many NGO workers don't speak local language; RIP Samir Amin; how to write an aidworker autobiography; 'Dear White consultant'-a poem from Tonga. Our digital lives: The 'facebook & right-wing violence in Germany' research revisited; unethical female journalists in the movies; Yoga & whit

Hi all, As I wrote in last week's link review : Unlike previous years I will have a proper break until the second half of August to focus on other (academic) writing projects, catching up on my reading list - and simply take a break from the #globaldev news cycle. There will be an official vacation post at the end of next week with reading suggestions from the archive-and perhaps even the odd book review or commentary depending on what will happen over the summer. In the meantime, besides leaving you with an image of Malmö's Västra Hamnen harbor with a view of the Öresund bridge in the background, I am sharing a few blogging highlights with you in case you feel like browsing the archive or, if you are a new student for example, getting to know my Aidnography project. I hope you will also have a great summer and look forward to seeing you again in August! One of the key themes of my blogging has been engaging with the aid industry and the professionalism of aid work(er

Hi all, This is going to be the last weekly review before my summer break. Unlike previous years I will have a proper break until the second half of August to focus on other (academic) writing projects, catching up on my reading list - and simply take a break from the #globaldev news cycle. There will be an official vacation post at the end of next week with reading suggestions from the archive-and perhaps even the odd book review or commentary depending on what will happen over the summer. In the meantime: Enjoy a packed reading list-especially as many readers in Canada and the US will have long weekends! Development news: the challenges of reporting sexual violence in Nigeria; logos on aid supplies-it's complicated; #globaldevwomen; you wouldn't send winter clothing to Samoa-but some people still do; Australians overestimate aid spending; the military-migrant economy in Nepal; period underwear; don't 'poorface'-on poverty tourism in the UK; Bill Gates wasted 600

As it often happens with my book reviews for the blog there is an element of chance and surprise involved when discovering a great book for review. Fiona Dunkley’s Psychosocial Support for Humanitarian Aid Workers: A Roadmap of Trauma and Critical Incident Care is no exception-it probably popped up in my Twitter feed or in a post in the 50 Shades of Aid Facebook group. In light of the #AidToo developments and longer-term discussion in the industry about staff care, well-being and psychological support this is obviously an important and timely book. Simply put, the book pretty much exactly delivers what Dunkley summarizes in her conclusion: This book has taken you on a journey of understanding trauma, highlighting the psychological risk to aid workers, explaining the physiology of trauma, sharing in-depth case studies to explore therapeutic trauma models, exploring coping strategies, managing critical incidents, highlighting pathways to care throughout deployments, and discussin

Hi all, Happy Midsummer from Sweden! Your weekly mix of news, views, tweets & more is here! Development news: MSF & #AidToo; Oxfam cuts; USA leaving UN Human Rights Council; aid organizations need to be careful to link migration objectives to their projects; FEMA's troubles in Puerto Rico; excluding women on Jordan; UNHCR's innovation metrics. Our digital lives: A special section on how to organize panels & events well. Publications: Organization after Social Media; the rise of impact evaluations; why government's political orientation matters little for immigration policy-making. Academia: Anthropology coming to terms with the challenges of truly decolonizing the discipline. Enjoy! New from aidnography In response to Duncan Green: My 9 development trends and their implications for tomorrow’s aid jobs Generally speaking, I don’t like the word ‘trend’ and I genuinely believe that over the next 2-5 years many parameters will pretty much stay the same. I don’