Topic: Love Inc.: Capitalism, Philanthropy and Humanitarianism

Catalog description

Philanthrocapitalism is a recent phenomenon that merges philanthropy and capitalism. It emerges as the popular, often uncontested and naive response to the failures and limitations of global development, global public policy in the name of social justice. In this course we will closely examine philanthropy not only as a social and voluntary humanitarian practice but also as an integrated part of present day capitalism, having a direct relation to the growing inequality associated with it. Drawing from economics, sociology, peace and justice studies, feminist and queer theory, trans studies and political science, among others, we will engage questions such as - Is Capitalism philanthropic? How does the current order of things resemble or differ from the colonial/imperial world order? How does the neoliberal world order currently create structural inequalities that ensure the reproduction of poverty and violence? Can philanthropy serve progressive and radical movements for structural social change? Can social justice movements e.g. Occupy, Arab Spring, Prison Abolition, BlackLivesMatters, and LGBT rights challenge philanthropy at large? Can we think of social movements that are making us radically re-imagine philanthropy's role in society? Our readings will problematize the operative logic in charitable, philanthropic, humanitarian, NGO, religious, and peacekeeping efforts.