Mediated Humanitarian Knowledge: Audiences’ responses and moral actions

1. Mediated Humanitarian Knowledge: Audiences’ responses and moral actions Knowledge Exchange Workshop 1

2. The Project The project explores public understanding and reactions to humanitarian and development communications. We are particularly interested in the way ideologies, emotions and biographical experiences shape people’s responses to the images and narratives that NGOs generate.

3. Why does it matter? 1.HOW DO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HUMANITARIAN PROBLEMS 2. HOW DO PEOPLE ENGAGE AND STAY ENGAGED WITH DISTANT SUFFERING AND ITS CAUSES? 3. WHAT KINDS OF RELATIONSHIP DO PEOPLE HAVE AND WANT WITH DISTANT OTHERS IN NEED? 4. HOW CAN NGOs FOSTER TRUST AND UNDERSTANDING?

4. Taking the long view • These are questions that can potentially make a big difference to how NGOs communicate. • But they can’t be answered just by looking at whether individual campaigns are effective or not. • We instead wanted to see how people think about caring and helping others – abroad and at home- over the course of their entire lives.

5. Phases of research

6. Geographic areas included

7. Today’s focus • The data presented comes from interviews with 18 focus groups: • 9 male and 9 female groups of 9 participants each; • 5 Agegroupings 18-25; 26-35; 36-45; 46-55; 65+; • Socio-demographic groups ABC1; C2C2; C2DE; • Mixed in terms of ethnicity, sexuality, co-habitation status, with and without children.

8. This session • 1. The ‘deserving’ receiver/victim • UNDERSTANDING • 2. Relationships with the receiver/victim in people’s heads • ENGAGING AND RELATING

9. Prioritising the self • Neville: If that’s what you’ve earned your money for, you’ve gone out and worked hard enough and that’s something that you’ve set your mind on, a goal, you’ve given yourself a goal, I want to get an iPod, it costs £200 I will work and save my money to get what I desire. If you can do that then you should do it happily. It’s not someone else’s choice to say, no, with that money that you’ve just raised you should go and give it to somebody else. At the end of the day why isn’t that person telling you this, do you know what I mean? Whoever’s telling you to go and give £200 here, £200 there it’s coming off TV. It’s coming off internet, everything. • 18-25 Asian male, working in special needs, C1C2 Nottingham

10. Nelson: It’s... I mean everyone always wants something more. Like, there’s always something you want so... I mean I was thinking like before, to be honest, I was looking at EBay and some stuff I want and I was thinking, I wish I could just have it, like not have to think about... like footballers, for example, they can have literally anything they want and I mean it’s all well and good saying, donate £2 a month, but I’d rather save that little bit just so I can go and get something I want and even when I get that there’s something else I want. There’s always going to be something everyone wants. Even, like, footballers even if it means they want to see £60,000 in the bank. It might not be something physical but they just want to know it’s there. • BR: Do you think we’re greedy then? Is that what you’re saying? • Nelson: No, I wouldn’t say we’re greedy. It’s just that everyone would... well people that want something have to work hard. I work hard so... and I want to have these luxuries but that’s why I work hard. If I didn’t want all these luxuries then I wouldn’t work hard, do you see what I mean. But I think everyone’s different but it all boils down to money at the end of the day. • English, co-habiting+ a small baby (same group as Neville)

11. Conditionally deserving • Otto But initially they [Japanese] refused help whereas in Africa there’s been the bowl where you just can’t fill it. This is the sad fact of the reality I think. Africa has had billions of pounds and they’re still nowhere near, and yet in Japan, they’re going forward. They’re even building, you know, and you think... I don’t know. I don’t know the answer to be honest but, you know, what is it? There is something. People, a lot are willing to do that and others, as you said about India, no, we do it ourselves. • FR Do you think you’d be more likely to give to a cause where you feel as though it wasn’t in the category of the endless bowl but it was...? • Otto Yes. • 56-65 Welsh, Aberystwyth, married with kids, ABC1

12. Earning and Deserving • 1. Helping themselves • 2. Just world theory • 3. Fairness • 4. Efficacy

13. Unconditionally deserving • Genevieve: All I know at the moment the country is in such a bad state and they're closing hospitals, research is being curbed. • BS: You mean Britain? • Genevieve: In Britain… Research is being curbed, hospitals are closing and I personally would rather give to the children in this country that are dying, children with leukaemia, children at Great Ormond Street Hospital. To me, I would rather give my money to them. • BS: Is that because you feel that it's your… I'll come back to the loyalties; it's very important. So you feel that the people in this country are your people? • Genevieve: Yes, because unfortunately, the way the country is at the moment, the children in this country are suffering. A lot of children that are so very, very poorly, can't have life-saving operations. Maternity units are closing, premature babies are dying because there isn't… and to me, I think, we must get our priorities right, and we live in this country. It's given us all a good life and I think we should pay back. • 65+ White British housewife, married, empty-nester, ABC1

14. Belonging and deserving • Deserving from having worked (pensioners) • Kin Selection • Reciprocity

15. Conditionally deserving • Keanu: People, okay, they live in poverty and they’ve got no money because their government keep them down anyway, but the poverty they're living in, they shouldn’t have any more children. They can't afford to feed them. • 65+ C2DE, Birmingham, White, married empty-nester

16. Conditionally deserving • UF: I definitely... that's why I think personally it’s good to give outside of your own country and things like that. I do, because I just think, you know, they’re worse off. Even if my situation is... • Fawzia: Oh, I think if I help someone like [overtalking] something good will happen to me. I [unclear] and I’m like yes, I’ll [overtalking]. • 18-25 White single mum with 5-year-old child, Leeds, C2DEF