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Is Business Discourse Colonizing Philanthropy? A Critical Discourse Analysis of (PRODUCT) RED

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Abstract

Increasingly, traditional notions of philanthropy are colonized by a market discourse that promotes consumption as an effective way to solve social ills, resulting in what scholars have termed “marketized philanthropy.” This paper examines the implications of marketized philanthropy through a discourse analysis of the (PRODUCT) RED campaign benefiting the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis in Africa through consumption of (RED)-branded products. This paper explores the implications of a business-oriented model of philanthropy for bringing about social change, the repercussions of campaigns like (RED) that explicitly shed the label of philanthropy; and how they impact political engagement.

Résumé

De plus en plus, les notions traditionnelles de la philanthropie sont envahies par un discours commercial qui fait la promotion de la consommation comme un moyen efficace de résoudre les problèmes sociaux, et qui créé ce que les chercheurs nomment « le marché de la philanthropie ». Cette étude examine les conséquences à tirer du marché de la philanthropie à travers l’analyse de discours de la campagne (PRODUCT) RED qui profite au Fonds mondial de lutte contre le sida, la malaria et la tuberculose en Afrique avec l’achat de produits de la marque (RED). Elle explore les incidences d’un modèle de philanthropie orienté par le marché pour apporter des changements sociaux, les répercussions générées par des campagnes comme celle de (RED) qui de façon explicite diffuse le label philanthropique, et comment celles-ci impactent les engagements politiques.

Zusammenfassung

Traditionelle Vorstellungen von Philanthropie werden mehr und mehr von einem Markt-Diskurs, der Konsum als einen effektiven Weg zur Lösung von sozialen Missständen anpreist, kolonisiert, resultierend in was Wissenschaftler als “marketized philanthropy” (in Wettbewerb gesetzte Philanthropie) bezeichnen. Dieser Artikel untersucht die Folgen der Inwettbewerbsetzung von Philanthropie durch eine Analyse des Diskurses der (PRODUCT) RED-Kampagne, die dem Global Fund zur Bekämpfung von HIV/AIDS, Malaria und Tuberkulose in Afrika durch den Konsum von Produkten mit dem Warenzeichen (RED) zugute kommt. Dieser Artikel erforscht die Folgen eines business-orientierten Philanthropie-Modells zur Herbeiführung von sozialem Wandel, die Nachwirkungen von Kampagnen wie (RED), die ausdrücklich das Etikett „Philanthropie“abwerfen, und deren Auswirkungen auf das politische Engagement.

Resumen

Las nociones tradicionales de filantropía están marcadas cada vez más por un discurso mercantilista que fomenta el consumo como una forma eficaz de resolver los males sociales, resultando en, lo que los académicos han denominado, «filantropía mercantilista». Este trabajo explora las implicaciones de la filantropía mercantilista a través de un análisis discursivo de la campaña RED (DE PRODUCTOS) en favor del Fondo Mundial para luchar contra el VIH y el sida, la malaria y la tuberculosis en África a través del consumo de productos de la marca (RED). Este trabajo analiza las implicaciones del modelo de filantropía orientado a la empresa para provocar el cambio social, las repercusiones de campañas como (RED) que suprimió explícitamente la etiqueta filantrópica; y cómo afectan al compromiso político.

摘要

慈善活动的传统概念越来越多地被一种以推广消费作为一种解决社会弊病有效方法的市场语话所侵入,其结果是(变成)被学者们称之为“市场化的慈善活动”。本论文通过一项对 (PRODUCT) RED 宣传活动的批评性语话分析来检验市场化慈善活动的含义。该活动宣传以消费 (RED) 品牌产品使得用于与非洲 HIV/AIDS(人体免疫缺损病毒/人类获得性免疫缺陷综合症)、疟疾和肺结核病作斗争的“全球基金”(Global Fund) 受益。本论文探讨一项商务型模式慈善活动在带来社会变革方面的含义、诸如明确地舍弃了慈善活动标记的 (RED) 之类宣传活动的后果,以及它们对政治约定的影响。

ملخص

على نحو متزايد، المفاهيم التقليدية للأعمال الخيرية محتلة من قبل الحديث الذي يعزز إستهلاك السوق بإعتباره وسيلة فعالة لحل المشاكل الإجتماعية، نتج عنه ما يطلق عليه العلماء “تسويق الأعمال الخيرية.” هذا البحث يفحص الا̃ثار المترتبة على

تسويق الأعمال الخيرية من خلال تحليل الحديث عن حملة المنتج PRODUCT (RED) التي يستفيد منها الصندوق العالمي لمكافحة فيروس نقص المناعة البشرية/الإيدز والملاريا والسل في افريقيا من خلال إستهلاك المنتجات ذات العلامات التجارية RED)). هذا البحث يستطلع الآثار المترتبة من نموذج الأعمال الخيرية الموجهة للأعمل التجارية لإحداث التغيير الاجتماعي ، وتداعيات حملات مثلRED)) التي تلقي الضوء على العمل الخيري ، وكيفية تأثيره على المشاركة السياسية.

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Acknowledgments

Our thanks to Dr. Angela Eikenberry for her guidance throughout this project and to the anonymous reviewers for their thoughtful comments.

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Correspondence to Jessica S. Wirgau.

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Wirgau, J.S., Farley, K.W. & Jensen, C. Is Business Discourse Colonizing Philanthropy? A Critical Discourse Analysis of (PRODUCT) RED. Voluntas 21, 611–630 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-010-9122-z

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