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The Humanitarians: Understanding the Crisis of the Humanitarian Field

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The Humanitarians: Understanding the Crisis of the Humanitarian Field THE HUMANITARIANS: UNDERSTANDING THE CRISIS OF THE HUMANITARIAN FIELD by David K. Morgan Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia May 2018 © Copyright by David K. Morgan, 2018 DEDICATION PAGE To Carolyn – my partner, my foundation, and my inspiration ii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ...................................................................................................................vii List of Figures ..................................................................................................................viii Abstract ....................................................................................................................ix List of Abbreviations Used .............................................................................................x Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................xi Chapter 1: Introduction ..............................................................................................1 Chapter Outline ..........................................................................................................9 Chapter 2: Crisis and Change in Humanitarian Action ............................................13 Introduction ........................................................................................................13 The Evolution of Humanitarianism ....................................................................15 Emergence (1859-1945) ................................................................................16 Expansion (1945-1990) ................................................................................21 Consolidation (1990-Present) ....................................................................24 A Regime ‘in Crisis’ ............................................................................................30 Explaining the Limits of Reform ................................................................................36 Looking within the Humanitarian ‘Field’ ........................................................41 Conclusion ........................................................................................................46 Chapter 3: Theoretical Framework and Methodology ............................................48 Introduction ........................................................................................................48 The Field Turn in IR Theory ................................................................................50 Field Theory and the Practice of Humanitarian Reform ............................................55 The Key Concepts ............................................................................................60 Fields ....................................................................................................................61 Capital ........................................................................................................64 Authority ........................................................................................................69 Operationalization ............................................................................................74 Methodology and Data Collection ....................................................................77 Limitations ........................................................................................................84 Conclusion ........................................................................................................89 Chapter 4: Mapping the Humanitarian Field ....................................................................90 iii Introduction ........................................................................................................90 The Humanitarian Field ............................................................................................92 Authority in the Humanitarian Field ....................................................................99 Capital and the Construction of Authority ......................................................105 Economic Capital ..........................................................................................106 Knowledge Capital ..........................................................................................113 Network Capital ..........................................................................................119 Moral Capital ..........................................................................................126 Conclusion ......................................................................................................131 Chapter 5: Made in Geneva? Policymaking and the Politics of Place ..................133 Introduction ......................................................................................................133 Building a Humanitarian Capital ..............................................................................137 Geneva in Historical Perspective ..................................................................137 Geneva Today ..........................................................................................140 The Politics of Policymaking ..............................................................................144 Depoliticization ..........................................................................................145 Centralization ..........................................................................................147 Parochialism ......................................................................................................151 Vertical Disaggregation ..............................................................................156 Explaining the Limits of Reform, Revisited ......................................................161 Conclusion ......................................................................................................173 Chapter 6: Coordinating Humanitarian Response: Humanitarian Clusters and the Hierarchy of Expertise ..........................................................................................175 Introduction ......................................................................................................175 Coordinating Humanitarian Response ..................................................................178 Views From the Ground ..........................................................................................183 Haiti ..................................................................................................................185 Philippines ......................................................................................................191 The Practice of Coordination ..............................................................................198 Barriers to Entry ..........................................................................................198 The ‘Need for Speed’ ..............................................................................203 Sectoral Expertise Over Local Knowledge ......................................................206 iv The Preference for Outside Solutions ......................................................211 Implications ......................................................................................................213 Conclusion ......................................................................................................218 Chapter 7: Opening the Humanitarian Toolbox: Accountability and Humanitarian Practice ..................................................................................................................219 Introduction ......................................................................................................219 The Accountability Revolution ..............................................................................222 The Humanitarian Toolbox ..............................................................................231 Information Sharing ..........................................................................................232 Feedback and Complaints ..............................................................................236 Participation ......................................................................................................239 Monitoring and Evaluation ..............................................................................243 Addressing the Accountability Deficit ..................................................................248 Conclusion ......................................................................................................255 Chapter 8: Localizing Aid: The Challenge From Below ..........................................257 Introduction ......................................................................................................257 Bourdieu, Field Theory, and the Space for Change ..........................................261 The Local Turn in the Humanitarian Field ......................................................265 Obstacles to the Local Turn ..............................................................................276 Political Interference ..........................................................................................277 Inter-organizational Competition ..................................................................280
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