IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/eurjdr/v34y2022i2d10.1057_s41287-021-00385-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Soundtracks of Poverty and Development: Music, Emotions and Representations of the Global South

Author

Listed:
  • John D. Cameron

    (Dalhousie University)

  • Emmanuel Solomon

    (Dalhousie University)

  • William Clarke

    (Dalhousie University)

Abstract

Despite the strategic use of music and sound in the marketing of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), analysis of representations of global poverty and development has focussed almost exclusively on images, video and text. Drawing on research in the fields of psychology, marketing and music theory, this article argues that analysis of representations of global poverty and development must include rigorous analysis of music and sound. The article examines the soundtracks of fundraising videos produced by NGOs based in the UK, the USA and Canada to address questions about the ways that music structure and sound create emotional narratives about poverty and development. Analysis reveals how music is used to shape emotional responses to NGO appeals and reinforces persistent stereotypes about the global South as sad and frightening and the global North as the source of agency to solve problems of global poverty.

Suggested Citation

  • John D. Cameron & Emmanuel Solomon & William Clarke, 2022. "Soundtracks of Poverty and Development: Music, Emotions and Representations of the Global South," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(2), pages 785-805, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:eurjdr:v:34:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1057_s41287-021-00385-1
    DOI: 10.1057/s41287-021-00385-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41287-021-00385-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41287-021-00385-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. John Cameron & Anna Haanstra, 2008. "Development Made Sexy: how it happened and what it means," Third World Quarterly, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(8), pages 1475-1489.
    2. John D. Cameron, 2015. "Can poverty be funny? The serious use of humour as a strategy of public engagement for global justice," Third World Quarterly, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(2), pages 274-290, February.
    3. Dan Brockington, 2014. "The production and construction of celebrity advocacy in international development," Third World Quarterly, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(1), pages 88-108, January.
    4. Matt Smith & Helen Yanacopulos, 2004. "The public faces of development: an introduction," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(5), pages 657-664.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ben Jones, 2017. "Looking Good: Mediatisation and International NGOs," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 29(1), pages 176-191, January.
    2. Palash Kamruzzaman, 2017. "Understanding the Role of National Development Experts in Development Ethnography," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 35(1), pages 39-63, January.
    3. David Lewis & Dennis Rodgers & Michael Woolcock, 2013. "The Projection of Development: Cinematic Representation as A(nother) Source of Authoritative Knowledge?," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(3), pages 383-397, March.
    4. Filippo Menga & Michael K. Goodman, 2022. "The High Priests of Global Development: Capitalism, Religion and the Political Economy of Sacrifice in a Celebrity‐led Water Charity," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 53(4), pages 705-735, July.
    5. Murat Arsel & Bram Büscher, 2015. "Forum 2015," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 46(4), pages 949-960, July.
    6. Richey, Lisa Ann & Ponte, Stefano, 2021. "Brand Aid and coffee value chain development interventions: Is Starbucks working aid out of business?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    7. Kimberly N. Hill‐Tout & Roberta Hawkins, 2023. "Accessorizing development: Fundraising bracelets for International Development as a New Development Responsibility," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(7), pages 2046-2066, October.
    8. Kamna Patel, 2022. "Being Cosmopolitan: Marketing Development Studies in the Neoliberal University," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 22(3), pages 222-238, July.
    9. Henson, Spencer & Lindstrom, Johanna, 2013. "“A Mile Wide and an Inch Deep”? Understanding Public Support for Aid: The Case of the United Kingdom," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 67-75.
    10. Sara Kinsbergen & Dirk-Jan Koch & Christine Plaisier & Lau Schulpen, 2022. "Long-Lasting, But Not Transformative. An Ex-post Sustainability Study of Development Interventions of Private Development Initiatives," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(1), pages 51-76, February.
    11. Becklake Sarah, 2014. "NGOs and the making of “development tourism destinations”: The case of “destino Guatemala”," Zeitschrift für Tourismuswissenschaft, De Gruyter, vol. 6(2), pages 223-242, November.
    12. Waku Ogiso & Hiroaki Funahashi & Yoshiyuki Mano, 2022. "Examining the Role of Source Evaluation in Athlete Advocacy: How Can Advocate Athletes Inspire Public Involvement in Racial Issues?," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-18, August.
    13. Manaf Kottakkunnummal, 2015. "Making up Pious Women: Politics, Charity and Gender among Muslims of Kerala," Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Centre for Women's Development Studies, vol. 22(3), pages 358-386, October.
    14. Sérgio Nunes & Philip Cooke & Fábio Tomaz, 2022. "Celebrities and GreenSphere tourism," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(3), pages 627-643, June.
    15. Cullati, Stéphane, 2014. "The influence of work-family conflict trajectories on self-rated health trajectories in Switzerland: A life course approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 23-33.
    16. Katy Jenkins, 2024. "Between Hope and Loss: Peruvian Women Activists’ Visual Contestations of Extractive-led Development," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 24(1), pages 48-67, January.
    17. Siobhan McGrath & Fabiola Mieres, 2022. "The Business of Abolition: Marketizing ‘Anti‐slavery’," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 53(1), pages 3-30, January.
    18. Firth, Jeanne & Passidomo, Catarina, 2022. "New Orleans’ “restaurant renaissance,” chef humanitarians, and the New Southern food movement," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 114893, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    19. Treffgarne, Carew B.W., 2019. "Joined-up government? Insights from education during DFID’s first decade," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 45-55.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:eurjdr:v:34:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1057_s41287-021-00385-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.