Worthy Victims

This article discusses neoliberalism in the context of humanitarian communication with a particular emphasis placed towards the self. The neoliberal self combines features of entrepreneurship and consumerismwith the contemporary discourse of ‘doing our part’. To combat such criticism, an argument has been advanced that we must be more open to the experiences, histories, cultures, and identities of individuals that are different from ourselves. This does not mean that we should accept injustice in the name of culture. This also does not mean that we should narrow our understanding of difference whereby problems of the other ‘just happen to be’. It does mean, however, that dialogue is a crucial component of understanding needs and realising that not only does justice look different in other communities, but within our highly globalised and capitalist societies no problem is solely self-determined. Self-reflexive knowledge that discloses the sources and limits of power is therefore a key factor in moving away from a system that requires one to be identified as poor. Crucially, what this article hopes to advocate is a form of communication that is centred on a normative ethics of care.