Aidnography

Hello all, This week's review has a first focus on peace-related issues from new open access publication to peace journalism and machine learning for conflict prevention; more news on radio and from South Sudan, Bangladesh & Australia; the second focus is on the digital with insights from Pakistan, Peter Buffett & the paranoia of social media celebrity. Anthropologists observing policy, NGOs and themselves offer various insights into the world of conference and meeting rooms; finally, a great list of social media & education research papers and the question what kind of knowledge & pedagogy MOOCs distribute across the globe. Enjoy! New on aidnography The Ironic Spectator (book review) Lilie Chouliaraki’s book The Ironic Spectator-Solidarity in the age of post-humanitarianism is a very good resource that combines academic rigor, critical thinking and engaged scholarship into a go-to publication for contemporary thinking on media, performance, (celebrity) culture an

I noticed that my reading habits are changing as I am becoming more immersed in academic teaching, course planning and advising MA students on a variety of assignments for our Communication for Development program. I am discovering more and more new literature that not just helps me in my research and writing, but also helps me pointing students into the right direction for their reading and own reflections. Celebrities’ involvement in development and humanitarian issues is clearly a trending topic and more and more research and publications are engaging with numerous issues around celebrity discourses in the global market of development (re)presentations. Lilie Chouliaraki ’s book The Ironic Spectator-Solidarity in the age of post-humanitarianism is a very good resource that combines academic rigor, critical thinking and engaged scholarship into a go-to publication for contemporary thinking on media, performance, (celebrity) culture and global development symbolism in the digit

Dear all, Apologies for the slight delay of this week's link review which coincided with U.S. Thanksgiving and a lot of work in Sweden. e.g. my lecture on organizational ethnography in development contexts entitled Organizational, institutional, systemic – anthropology & ‘doing ethnography’ on ‘making development’ (it is an unedited broadcast and my lecture starts around the 5:00 mark). I also answered a reader query (see below). So without further delays, let's get to the link review! After some reading recommendations there are interesting articles from Kenya and Colombia as well as a longer section on the future of NGOs, the 'lost soul' of charities and how to do meaningful work amongst those shift, disruptures and challenges. 'Development' issues in Philadelphia and encounters in expat life round off the first section. In Academia we look beyond academic careers, the dominant MOOCs discourse and virtual teaching from your office! Enjoy! New on aidnograp

It is always great to engage with reader's reflections on development's conundrums, challenges and paradoxes.   In my first post the question was about Eradicating poverty with a PhD and/or UN job . This time it is a bit more complicated, because finding the right approach to do valuable and sustainable volunteer-led development work with some critical self-reflection and local knowledge about the complexities is a close to development's holy grail... Dear Tobias, (…) I'll be going back to (country) at the end of November to spend 6 months with a Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Awareness and Services NGO to help them expand their focus to include violence elimination and offering support for victims. I am well aware of the countless instances where aid rather than aiding in fact introduces new problems and/or exacerbate the situation and am naturally keen on avoiding both. My personal conundrum during my last stint in (country) had more to do with f

Dear all, Welcome to the centennial weekly blog review! In addition to a special post on curating development content (see below) there is a great link review featuring all the topics you like to engage with critically (e.g. patriarchy, open government, digital humanitarianism, anthropological dress-codes, MOOCs for elites), all the celebrities you actually like to read less about and the odd discovery about Twiplomacy , African Digital Woman, French philosophers & why we really don't need HR departments anymore! Enjoy!! New on aidnography 100 weekly link reviews later: Why I still like curating #globaldev content 11 post-Haiyan articles that are relevant for every disaster (UPDATED) Development Gender and Statebuilding in Fragile and Conflict-affected States This publication provides an overview of the key issues, challenges and opportunities for ensuring more systematic consideration of gender issues in statebuilding in fragile and conflict-affected countries. It makes t