Skip to main content

ETHNOS_APP

Home • Search • Journals • List 0

Humanitarianism and Empire

New Research Agendas

Bibliographic Data

ID5777740
AuthorsRob Skinner (0000-0003-4476-1381), Anthony Lester (0000-0002-2703-6383, University of Sussex)
Year2012
Volume40
Issue5
Pages729-747
Publication date2012-11-19
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Journal of Imperial & Commonwealth History (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0308-6534 • E-ISSN: 1743-9329
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/03086534.2012.730828
OpenAlexW2060250225
LanguageEN
Citations received64
References cited39

This article provides an introductory overview of themes raised in this special edition of the Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History. We suggest that, while recent work such as Michael Barnett's Empire of Humanity has begun to explore the history of western humanitarianism, academic researchers can do more to address the intricate framework of relations between humanitarianism and empire, and that the history of humanitarianism can usefully be viewed as a fundamental component of imperial relations, a way of bridging trans-imperial, international and transnational approaches. We set the papers in this collection within the wider historiography of nineteenth and twentieth century humanitarianism, and outline how the humanitarian 'impulse' intersected with debates around anti-slavery, colonial administration and the protection of indigenous peoples. We also outline the ways in which twentieth-century international 'networks of concern' engaged with, and built upon, the discourses of imperial humanitarianism. Finally, we briefly consider the benefits of a 'transnational' approach in sketching the history of empire and humanitarianism

British Empire · Commonwealth · Historiography · Long nineteenth century · Australian History and Society · Colonialism, slavery, and trade · Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics

  • Refugees in Twentieth-Century Britain

    Becky Taylor•Refugees in Twentieth-Century…•2021

  • Empire, Humanitarianism and Violence in the Colonies

    Penelope Edmonds, Anna Johnston•Journal of Colonialism and…•2016

  • Gandhi and the Humanitarians of Empire

    Sean Scalmer•Journal of Colonialism and…•2016

  • Violence, Moral Imperialism and Colonial Borderlands, 1770s-1820s

    Elizabeth Elbourne•Journal of Colonialism and…•2016

  • Pandemic (Im)mobilities

    Open Access•Amy Gilmore•Political Geography•2026

  • "If You Want To Go Fast, Go Alone. If You Want To Go Far, Go Together."

    Open Access•Janaka Jayawickrama•Interdisciplinary Journal of…•2018

  • Selma Dabbagh’s Out of It

    Open Access•Faruk M Bajraktarević•Komunikacija i kultura online•2021

  • « Civiliser, développer, aider »

    Damiano Matasci, Marie-Luce Desgrandchamps•Histoire Politique•2020

  • The “Open Sore of America”

    Open Access•Dean Clay•Journal of American Studies•2024

  • Imperial Refugee Management. Moving Greek Refugees Through the British Empire and into the Belgian Congo (1942–1945)

    Jochen Lingelbach•The Journal of Imperial &…•2022

  • Christian Missions and Humanitarianism in The Middle East, 1850-1950

    Open Access•Inger Marie Okkenhaug, Karène Sanchez Summerer•Christian Missions and…•2020

  • Many Mouths

    Open Access•Nadja Durbach•Many Mouths•2020

  • Antibiotic Arrivals in Africa

    Open Access•Paula Palanco Lopez, Salome Manyau et al.•Medicine Anthropology Theory•2022

  • Remembering the imperial context of emancipation commemoration in the former British slave-port cities of Bristol and Liverpool, 1933–1934

    Jessica Moody•Slavery and Abolition•2018

  • Humanitarian confinement. Ethnographies of a paradox

    Simone Di Cecco, Estelle Miramond•Journal des anthropologues•2024

  • Building Africa’s Homegrown Humanitarian Systems

    Open Access•Oheneba A Boateng•Frontiers in Political Science•2021

  • Civil War in El Salvador and the origins of rights-based humanitarianism

    Open Access•Kevin O’sullivan•Journal of Global History•2020

  • The limits of agency

    Rebecca Gill, Cornelis Muller•Safundi•2018

  • The British Empire, International Government, and Human Rights

    Open Access•Kevin Grant•History Compass•2013

  • Anti‐slavery in Australia

    Open Access•Jane Lydon•History Compass•2017

  • Antislavery, elite men, and the “voice of the British nation

    Open Access•Eleanor Morecroft•History Compass•2017

  • Flat affect? Revisiting emotion in the historiography of human rights

    Roland Burke•Journal of Human Rights•2015

  • The Aborigines' Protection Society

    Caroline Shaw

  • Medical Brigades to El Salvador and Honduras

    Open Access•M Morrissey•Tourist Studies•2022

  • University Work Experiences in International Development

    Open Access•Anke Schwittay•Progress in Development Studies•2024

  • Marseille, city of refuge

    Open Access•Emilien Tortel•Esboços histórias em contextos…•2021

  • Against Food Security

    David Nally•Global Society•2016

  • Despondence, dependence and dignity

    Elisabeth Piller•European Review of History Revue…•2023

  • The National Union of Students and transnational solidarity, 1958–1968

    JODI BURKETT•European Review of History Revue…•2014

  • Practising the British way of famine

    Tehila Sasson, James Vernon•European Review of History Revue…•2015

  • Humanitarianisms in context

    Open Access•Kevin O’sullivan, Kevin O'Sullivan et al.•European Review of History Revue…•2016

  • No Happy Childhood Behind the Iron Curtain

    Rosaria Franco•Europe Asia Studies•2020

  • Technologies of life-making in the British refugee camps of the Southern Levant

    Open Access•F Abreek-Zubiedat•Journal of Refugee Studies•2025

  • Word War I and the humanitarian impulse

    William I Hitchcock•The Tocqueville Review/La revue…•2014

  • Hunger and the humanitarian frontier

    Open Access•Anne O’ Brien, Anne O’brien•Aboriginal History Journal•2015

  • The geopolitics of militarism and humanitarianism

    Open Access•Killian Mccormack, Erik Gilbert•Progress in Human Geography•2021

  • The Red Cross and the Establishment of Maternal and Infant Welfare in the 1930s Gold Coast

    Holly Rose Ashford•The Journal of Imperial &…•2019

  • The Commonwealth and South Africa

    Saul Dubow•The Journal of Imperial &…•2017

  • Mandate of Compassion

    Alma Igra•The Journal of Imperial &…•2019

  • Seeking Refuge in Hostility

    Open Access•Emily Whewell•The Journal of Imperial &…•2019

  • The Great Bengal Famine in Britain

    Joanna Simonow•The Journal of Imperial &…•2019

  • The Limitations of Social Governance in the British and American Concessions

    Zhiqiang Yan•The Journal of Imperial &…•2025

  • Reluctant Humanitarians

    Brett L Shadle•The Journal of Imperial &…•2018

  • An accumulated wrong

    Open Access•Gerry Kearns, David Nally•Journal of Historical Geography•2019

  • From the Teen to the Green Revolution

    Open Access•David Nally, C Brooks•Journal of Historical Geography•2018

  • What is the history of care the history of

    Open Access•Dolores Martín Moruno, Dolores Martín-Moruno et al.•Dynamis•2024

  • Group styles and humanitarian aid

    Katherine Comeau•Third World Quarterly•2022

  • Circulating Power

    Open Access•Rafeef Ziadah•Antipode•2019

  • British Humanitarian Political Economy and Famine in India, 1838–1842

    Open Access•Andrea Major•Journal of British Studies•2020

  • Education, race and empire

    Open Access•Katharyne Mitchell•Transactions of the Institute of…•2017

  • Humanitarianism as liberal diagnostic

    Open Access•Simon Reid‐henry, S M Reid‐Henry•Transactions of the Institute of…•2013

  • Towards a History of Global Humanitarianism

    Open Access•Aoife O’leary Mcneice•The Historical Journal•2020

  • Confinement humanitaire. Ethnographies d’un paradoxe

    Simone Di Cecco, Estelle Miramond•Journal des anthropologues•2024

  • Humanitarianism and racial capitalism in the age of global shipping

    Open Access•Laleh Khalili•European Journal of International…•2023

  • From Empire to Humanity

    Open Access•Tehila Sasson•Journal of British Studies•2016

  • The Great War, the child's body and the American Red Cross

    Open Access•Friederike Kind‐kovác•European Review of History Revue…•2016

  • The gendered and racialized politics of risk analysis. The case of Frontex

    Open Access•Saskia Stachowitsch, Julia Sachseder•Critical Studies on Security•2019

  • Spaces at the intersections of militarism and humanitarianism

    Killian Mccormack, Erik Gilbert et al.•Critical Military Studies•2018

  • Clumsy beginnings

    Open Access•Patricia J Lopez•Environment and Planning A…•2015

  • The problem of understanding modern humanitarianism and its sociological value

    Open Access•Iain Wilkinson•International Social Science…•2014

  • Entangled Vulnerabilities

    Open Access•Julia Sachseder, Saskia Stachowitsch et al.•Geopolitics•2024

  • Ken Loach and the Save the Children Film

    Matthew Hilton•The Journal of Modern History•2015

  • Indigenous Rights and Colonial Subjecthood

    Open Access•Amanda Nettelbeck•Indigenous Rights and Colonial…•2019

  • Mohammed Hanif'sRed Birds

    Asim Karim•Journal of Postcolonial Writing•2020

  • Human Rights and Empire

    Costas Douzinas•Human Rights and Empire•2007

  • Doctrines Of Development

    Michael Cowen, M P Cowen et al.•Doctrines Of Development•2003

  • The Scandal of Empire

    Nicholas B Dirks•Scandal of Empire•2006

  • Blood Ground

    Elizabeth Elbourne•Blood Ground•2002

  • Political Economy of Slavery

    Eugene D Genovese, Slavery Genovese•Political Economy of Slavery•2012

  • The Problem of Slavery in the Age of Revolution 1770-1823

    David Brion Davis•The problem of slavery in the age…•1999

  • Imperial Meridian

    C A Bayly•Imperial Meridian•2016

  • Humanitarian Intervention

    Brendan Simms, D J B Trim•Humanitarian Intervention•2011

  • Hunger

    James Vernon•Hunger•2007

  • The Foundations of Anti-Apartheid

    Open Access•Rob Skinner•Foundations of Anti-Apartheid•2010

  • The Great Land Rush and the Making of the Modern World, 1650–1900

    John C Weaver•Great Land Rush and the Making of…•2003

  • Beyond sovereignty

    Open Access•Kevin Grant, Philippa Levine et al.•Beyond Sovereignty•2007

  • No Enchanted Palace

    Mark Mazower, Mark M Mazower•No Enchanted Palace•2009

  • Replenishing the Earth

    James Belich•Replenishing the earth•2009

  • Geographies of colonial philanthropy

    Open Access•David Lambert, Alanna Kamp et al.•Progress in Human Geography•2004

  • AHR Conversation

    C A Bayly, Sven Beckert et al.•The American Historical Review•2006

  • A Civilised Savagery

    Kevin Grant•Civilised Savagery•2004

  • Imperial Benevolence

    Jane Samson•Imperial Benevolence•2017

  • The Atlantic Slave Trade and British Abolition 1760–1810

    Open Access•Roger Anstey•The Atlantic Slave Trade and…•1975

  • The Anti-Slavery and Aborigines' Protection Society and the South African Natives' Land Act of 1913

    Open Access•Brian Willan•The Journal of African History•1979

  • British perceptions of the East Pakistan Crisis 1971

    Angela Debnath•Journal of Genocide Research•2011

  • Capitalism and the Origins of the Humanitarian Sensibility, Part 2

    Thomas L Haskell•The American Historical Review•1985

  • Women against Slavery

    Margot C Finn, Margot Finn et al.•The American Historical Review•1994

  • Empathy in History, Empathizing With Humanity

    Open Access•Samuel Moyn•History and Theory•2006

  • A Great Cause

    Christabel Gurney•Journal of Southern African Studies•2000

  • The Moral Foundations of British Anti-Apartheid Activism, 1946-1960

    Rob Skinner•Journal of Southern African Studies•2009

  • The Sin of the Settler

    Elizabeth Elbourne•Journal of Colonialism and…•2003

  • The Last of the Gentlemen's Wars

    Paula M Krebs•History Workshop Journal•1992

  • British Settler Discourse and the Circuits of Empire

    Anthony Lester•History Workshop Journal•2002

  • The Atlantic Slave Trade and British Abolition, 1760-1810

    Clare Taylor, Roger Anstey•The William and Mary Quarterly•1976

  • Hedge of Wild Almonds, South Africa, the 'Pro-Boers' & the Quaker Conscience 1890-1910

    Adrian Hastings, Hope Hay Hewison•Journal of Religion in Africa•1991

  • Missions and Empire

    Norman Etherington•Oxford University Press eBooks•1999

  • Colonial South Africa and the Origins of the Racial Order

    Pamela Scully, Timothy Keegan•The International Journal of…•1997

  • Transnationalism

    Open Access•Laura Briggs, Gladys Mccormick et al.•American Quarterly•2008

  • The Problem of Slavery in Western Culture

    Open Access•David Donald, David Brion Davis•American Quarterly•1967

Unique citing works64
Citations per year4,92
Citation span2013 - 2026 (14)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 59
Ethnos_APP • Open Source Project • MIT License • Frontend v2.0.0 • Privacy and Cookies • API Documentation: api.ethnos.app/docs • API Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17049435 • Frontend Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17050053 • cruz.rio.br • Expectantes Misericordiae