{"id":144,"date":"2017-01-24T12:18:56","date_gmt":"2017-01-24T12:18:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.projects.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk\/anthropology-of-aid\/?page_id=144"},"modified":"2026-04-22T23:36:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T22:36:07","slug":"professions-of-doing-good","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/anthropology-of-aid\/the-issues\/professions-of-doing-good\/","title":{"rendered":"Professions of ‘doing good’"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” fullwidth=”on” next_background_color=”#000000″ _builder_version=”3.17.6″ global_module=”322″][et_pb_fullwidth_menu global_parent=”322″ _builder_version=”3.0.106″ menu_id=”7″ submenu_direction=”downwards” fullwidth_menu=”off” background_layout=”dark” module_class=”main-navigation” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial” \/][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” transparent_background=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off” custom_padding=”||0px|” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” next_background_color=”#ffffff”][et_pb_row allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” make_equal=”off” custom_margin=”||0px|” custom_padding=”||0px|” module_class=”breadcrumbs-row” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Breadcrumbs (do not remove)” use_border_color=”off” module_class=”breadcrumbs” custom_css_main_element=”border-bottom: 1px solid #ececed;” module_alignment=”left” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial” _builder_version=”3.10.1″]<\/p>\nAnthropology of aid<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”off” specialty=”on” transparent_background=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” parallax_2=”off” parallax_method_2=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”2″ prev_background_color=”#ffffff” next_background_color=”#ffffff”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_sidebar admin_label=”Left Nav Sidebar” area=”et_pb_widget_area_1″ module_id=”left-nav-menu” show_border=”off” _builder_version=”3.10.1″ \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ specialty_columns=”2″][et_pb_row_inner admin_label=”Row” _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″][et_pb_text background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” module_alignment=”left” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial” _builder_version=”3.17.6″]<\/p>\n

Professions of ‘doing good’<\/h1>\n

2025-2026<\/h3>\n

The Impossible Win: Navigating the Moral Labour of Aid<\/a><\/p>\n

By Sebastian Hughes, Jianwei Liu, Etta Greenhalgh, Ane Echebarrieta, Derry Jay<\/p>\n

Our exhibition draws on Fechter\u2019s (2016) \u2018Aid Work as Moral Labour\u2019. This is the idea that aid work involves continuous negotiation among aid workers about what the right thing to do is in morally complex situations.\u00a0Moral labour is a continuous cognitive and emotional effort, making moral trade-offs in the absence of clean choices. [Continue reading]<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

An Aid Worker’s Desk<\/a><\/p>\n

By Antonia Caicedo Marquez, Anya Gilfoyle, Elsa Hopkins, Katharine O’Hearn, Elise Wilcock<\/p>\n

Our project connects ethnographic insights and theoretical reflections on aid work from the course to the practical realities of \u2018professions of doing good\u2019. Our exhibit, An Aid Worker\u2019s Desk,<\/em> examines the motivations and biases that may shape participation in international volunteering programmes. [Continue reading]<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

2024-2025<\/h3>\n

The Complexities of Being an Aid Worker<\/a><\/p>\n

By Barbara Gurgel, Alisa Hogg, Caitlin McHugh, Garance Mollo, Isabella Smith, Holly Winters<\/p>\n

An anthropological perspective can offer an in-depth and nuanced evaluation of aid workers and the roles that they perform. Over the last few months, we have studied different anthropological ideas and theories surrounding \u2018professions of doing good\u2019 and explored what it means to actually \u2018do good\u2019. [Continue reading]<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Morally speaking\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

By Mya Damah, Honey Fisher, Isla Lees, Eden Palterman, Scarlett Penn<\/p>\n

The game we have created, \u2018Morally Speaking\u2026\u2019, is based on Fechter\u2019s work with moral labour (Fechter, 2016a), which engages in the role of the aid worker in unexpected ways in the concept of \u2018doing good\u2019. Moral Labour is a performance that Fechter describes in relation to \u201cmental efforts that may be required as an unwritten part of aid workers\u2019 contracts\u201d (p.241). [Continue reading]<\/a><\/p>\n

2022-2023<\/h3>\n

Hegemonic Representations and Aid Workers<\/a><\/p>\n

By Grace Aroboto, Annie Bradford, Tom Collier, Ieva Pojuner, Camilla Sjoegreen<\/p>\n

Our exhibit comprises twin photo collages that express dominant representations of aid givers and receivers as perpetuated in mainstream discourse. One collage depicts representations associated with the developed world. This covers representations of: \u2018desirable development\u2019 (Ledger, 2016:73); international aid workers; poverty and underdevelopment in the global south. The other depicts representations associated with the developing world. This covers representations of: aid recipients; local aid workers; media coverage of humanitarian intervention. [Continue reading]<\/a><\/p>\n

Between a rock and a hard place: the ways in which refugees and aid workers alike navigate agency and identity <\/a><\/p>\n

By Esmee Cloo, Katie Dove, Brenda Fecteau, Ruby Stainforth, Chaney Watson<\/p>\n

Our exhibit is a video poster depicting the conflict between agency and identity which impacts aid workers and refugees alike. Our main aim is to show how by changing the ways aid workers interact with aid recipients it can have a positive impact on their lives. We wanted to emphasise that by treating the refugees as people with personal identity, having hobbies and wanting to have a life rather than just survive, aid workers can accommodate needs beyond mere survival. [Continue reading]<\/a><\/p>\n

2021-2022<\/h3>\n

This year, the blog entries are in the style of lesson plans. Take a look!\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Personal Experiences of Aid Work<\/a><\/p>\n

Immaterial Labour in ‘Aidland’<\/a><\/p>\n

2020-2021<\/h3>\n

This year the blog entries are on Adobe Spark. Read them here:\u00a0<\/p>\n