Paradoxes of Aid Work - Passionate Professionals

This book explores what attracts people to aidwork and to what extent the promises of aidwork are fulfilled. 'Aidland' is a highly complex and heterogeneous context which includes many different occupations, forms of employment and organizations. Analysing the processes that lead to the involvement in development cooperation, emergency relief and human rights work and tracing the pathways into and through Aidland, the book addresses working and living conditions in Aidland, gender relations and inequality among aid personnel and what impact aidwork has on the life-courses of aidworkers.

In order to capture the trajectories that lead to Aidland a biographical perspective is employed which reveals that boundary crossing between development cooperation, emergency relief and human rights is not unusual and that considering these fields as separate spheres might overlook important connections. Rich reflexive data is used to theorize about the often contradictory experiences of people working in aid whose careers are shaped by geo-politics, changing priorities of donors and a changing composition of the aid sector.

Exploring the life worlds of people working in aid, this book contributes to the emerging sociology and anthropology of aidwork and will be of interest to professionals and researchers in humanitarian and development studies, sociology, anthropology, political science and international relations, international social work and social psychology.

List of contents

Introduction 1. Mapping Aidland 2. Theorizing (Aid)Work 3. Entering Aidland 4. Living and Working in Aidland 5. Doing Gender in Aidland 6. Othering and Otherness 7. Should I Stay or Should I Go Conclusion

About the author

Silke Roth is Associate Professor in Sociology, University of Southampton, UK.

Product details

• Authors: Silke Roth, Roth Silke
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 07.04.2015
• EAN: 9780415745925
• ISBN: 978-0-415-74592-5
• No. of pages: 222
• Series: Routledge Humanitarian Studies
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Biology > Ecology; Social sciences, law, business > Business > Miscellaneous; BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Development / Sustainable Development, Sociology, Geography, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Disasters & Disaster Relief, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Environmental Policy, Anthropology, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Development / Economic Development, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Developing & Emerging Countries, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Volunteer Work, Warfare & defence, Feminism & feminist theory, Gender studies, gender groups, Warfare and defence, Feminism and feminist theory, International institutions, Natural disasters, Development Studies, Development economics & emerging economies, Development economics and emerging economies