Giving and Misgivings: Explorations in Charity, Humanitarianism, and Development (Institute of Business Administration, Karachi, 2021)

​​

 

 

Description: This course explores some of the most fundamental human inclinations: to give, to take, and to care. From the Pacific Northwest to Polynesia, early social scientists considered practices of exchange as a central lens to understand human relations. These observations were eventually extended to the study of the modern economy. Yet, giving is not merely the free exchange of goods from one to another. It also implicates inequality (the realization that the giver and recipient are not equal) and reciprocity (the expectation that something will be given in return). In this course, we consider charity as a form of giving and care that is riddled with implicit and explicit expectations of reciprocity on an individual and global scale. Given that the mainstream imagination (and vocabulary) of charity is dominated by a Christian outlook, we will deconstruct and problematize charity as a category using examples from various religious and cultural traditions. As voluntary associations borne out of an arguably charitable impulse, we also explore humanitarianism as an often-ambivalent mode of caring for the needy Other. Finally, we will critically examine how charity and humanitarianism inform notions of progress, reform, and development. Students will engage with these themes using relevant academic writing, as well as film and literature, to capture the complexity and ambiguity of charitable giving. As a result, this course will be beneficial to students of anthropology, sociology, development studies, political science, and history.​