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Neoliberal turns in global humanitarian governance: corporations, celebrities and the construction of the entrepreneurial refugee woman

Bergman Rosamond, Annika LU and Gregoratti, Catia LU (2021) In Journal of Humanitarian Affairs 2(3).
Abstract
In this article we seek to extend recent debates on how the promotion of self-reliance through vocational training and entrepreneurship has become the new neoliberal mantra among refugee-supporting agencies, policymakers and humanitarian actors. More specifically, we do so in the context of corporate and celebrity-endorsed humanitarian partnerships and initiatives that single out refugee women and girls. Informed by postcolonial feminist scholarship and guided by Carol Bacchi’s ‘what is the problem represented to be’ (WPR) approach we compare IKEA’s partnership with the Jordan River Foundation (JRF) in Jordan and Angelina Jolie’s support for the RefuSHE project in Kenya. While differences between the two problem representations exist, both... (More)
In this article we seek to extend recent debates on how the promotion of self-reliance through vocational training and entrepreneurship has become the new neoliberal mantra among refugee-supporting agencies, policymakers and humanitarian actors. More specifically, we do so in the context of corporate and celebrity-endorsed humanitarian partnerships and initiatives that single out refugee women and girls. Informed by postcolonial feminist scholarship and guided by Carol Bacchi’s ‘what is the problem represented to be’ (WPR) approach we compare IKEA’s partnership with the Jordan River Foundation (JRF) in Jordan and Angelina Jolie’s support for the RefuSHE project in Kenya. While differences between the two problem representations exist, both initiatives seek to empower refugee women by activating latent entrepreneurial abilities. These, we conclude, reinforce a saviour/saved humanitarian logic while also obscuring the gender division of responsibilities and precarious nature of artisanal labour. (Less)
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Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Humanitarian Affairs
volume
2
issue
3
publisher
Manchester University Press
ISSN
2515-6411
DOI
10.7227/JHA.048
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
168a7aa2-7fb7-4976-867b-799458183f0c
date added to LUP
2020-11-09 13:15:15
date last changed
2021-03-08 14:24:10
@article{168a7aa2-7fb7-4976-867b-799458183f0c,
  abstract     = {{In this article we seek to extend recent debates on how the promotion of self-reliance through vocational training and entrepreneurship has become the new neoliberal mantra among refugee-supporting agencies, policymakers and humanitarian actors. More specifically, we do so in the context of corporate and celebrity-endorsed humanitarian partnerships and initiatives that single out refugee women and girls. Informed by postcolonial feminist scholarship and guided by Carol Bacchi’s ‘what is the problem represented to be’ (WPR) approach we compare IKEA’s partnership with the Jordan River Foundation (JRF) in Jordan and Angelina Jolie’s support for the RefuSHE project in Kenya. While differences between the two problem representations exist, both initiatives seek to empower refugee women by activating latent entrepreneurial abilities. These, we conclude, reinforce a saviour/saved humanitarian logic while also obscuring the gender division of responsibilities and precarious nature of artisanal labour.}},
  author       = {{Bergman Rosamond, Annika and Gregoratti, Catia}},
  issn         = {{2515-6411}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  number       = {{3}},
  publisher    = {{Manchester University Press}},
  series       = {{Journal of Humanitarian Affairs}},
  title        = {{Neoliberal turns in global humanitarian governance: corporations, celebrities and the construction of the entrepreneurial refugee woman}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.7227/JHA.048}},
  doi          = {{10.7227/JHA.048}},
  volume       = {{2}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}