https://www.gofundme.com/secondchancesyria 

(Title picture for a GoFundMe page…)

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Lisa Malkki asks, “[w]hat is it about children? What histories enable them to loom so large in the humanitarian imaginary?” To this she suggests, “[t]he child is often made to appear as the exemplary human, and as politically harmless and neutral - the most neutral of neutrals, hors combat - and is thus able to do a great deal of work in the affective imagination.” (Figurations of the Human, 79)  Consider the prolific use of children in visual media, particularly when employed to evoke empathy. In the case of refugees, children are cast as innocent and apolitical, and images of their suffering are exploited and popularized to garner western attention. This particular photograph was used as the cover for a gofundme page. Given the circumstances for its use, in what ways is this image used to manipulate the emotions of its audiences? Do you think this image would achieve the same goal if a parent had stood in the child's place? Lastly, what are the ethical implications of using visual images of children in crisis to serve a capitalist purpose, and is there a way to responsibly represent children in crisis?

 

Theme: Media’s use of children to elicit sympathy, infantilization of peace

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