Lecture 18: Universalistic Humanitarianism in Mainland China
2015/3/24 11:53:10
Lecture 18: Universalistic Humanitarianism in Mainland China Mar . 24 . 2015
LECTURE NOTICE: “Universalistic Humanitarianism in Mainland China: A case study of a French NGO”
TIME: 13:30 - 15:00, March 26 (Thursday)
VENUE: R3005, Xin Jian BLD
GUEST SPEAKER: Prof. Gilles Guiheux
Short bio :
Gilles Guiheux is Professor of Chinese studies at the Université Paris Diderot (France) since 2006. He specializes in sociology of contemporary China. He has recently published “Universalistic humanitarianism in mainland China : a case study of a French NGO”, in Rajeswary Ampalavanar Brown & Justin Pierce ed., Charities in the Non-Western World: The Development and Regulation of Indigenous and Islamic Charities, London, Routledge, 2014 ; “Nurturing compassion through care-giving and care-receiving: The changing moral economy of AIDs in China”, Anthropology & Medicine, February 2014 ; “中国成衣业中的外来工。适应性与机会”, 广西民族大学学报, 9/2013, 35-5. He received his Ph.D. from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (Paris). More informations at http://www.cessma.univ-paris-diderot.fr/spip.php?article79.
Short presentation of the talk :
“Universalistic Humanitarianism in Mainland China: A case study of a French NGO”
We are looking at the interaction between transnational organizations and the Chinese field from a case study perspective. Studying Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) modes of operations in China, we aim at measuring its impact on the long-term development of the domestic civil society, then contributing to the emerging debate on the impact of transnational NGOs in China/ Three types of materials have been collected: the archives of MSF China operations were consulted in its Paris headquarters; interviews were carried with MSF personal previously in charge of China operations; and interviews were carried with the Chinese staff of an MSF Aids clinic located in Nanning (Guangxi). We are looking at French universalism in action, from the point of view of the actors on the Chinese field, both expatriates and local employees. We argue that in order to be active in China, MSF has had to localize its brand of universalistic humanitarianism.