A question addressed in this study is; how are identities of children constructed using
narratives and photographs in humanitarian discourse? This study is a sociological
exposition of ethical issues that arise from representations of children within
humanitarian discourse. Humanitarian discourse is treated as a special type of cultural
representation. This discourse entails uses of a special form of language that constructs
represents and portrays stereotypical identities of children. Such cultural representation
illustrates how children’s identities are socially constructed realities. Constructions of
realities of children are shaped, influenced and ‘controlled’ by intentions of humanitarian
professionals as social actors. Humanitarian professionals’ actions as agents are also
located within socio-cultural structures and contexts that give rise to the humanitarian
discourse. This means reality is not ‘unified’ but a product of intentional and conscious
inter-subjective human actions in specific contexts. Such is an assumption of
phenomenological sociological theory that situates this study. This assumption also
influenced qualitative research methods of this study. Qualitative methods emphasise the
significance of individual perceptions and interpretations when analysing social issues.
Identified ethical issues arise from practical program situations causing humanitarian
professionals to collect children’s narratives and photographs in the first instance. Those
situations include; conducting child focused researches, designing children’s programs,
writing child rights advocacy articles and policy briefs, marketing children’s issues,
media publishing, writing project proposals, monitoring and evaluating projects. Ethical
issues that arise from the above include; violations of children’s privacies, lack of
informed consent to collect and use children’s narratives and photographs, uses of
enticements to induce information from children, disclosures of sensitive data,
exaggerations, sensationalising and manipulations of children’s identities. Based on study
findings, knowledge or academic contribution situated within phenomenological
sociology is proposed. The study’s knowledge contribution is that constructions of
children’s identities reveal how perceptions and interpretations of identities create
socially determined realities within humanitarian discourse. / Sociology / D. Phil. (Sociology)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/3201 |
| Date | 06 1900 |
| Creators | Murove, Tapfuma |
| Contributors | Mathebe, L. M. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (ix, 336 leaves) |
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