{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T04:28:06Z","timestamp":1790656086988,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":85,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,15]],"date-time":"2024-07-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1721001600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Disasters"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    Public discourse is rich in meaning, reflecting consensus, dissent, and change. Yet, very little public discourse on the humanitarian sector has been authored by aid workers themselves. We conducted a thematic analysis of the \u2018Secret Aid Worker\u2019 (SAW) series, published in\n                    <jats:italic>The Guardian<\/jats:italic>\n                    newspaper between 2015 and 2018, the only corpus of data on humanitarian life experiences publicly accessible through mainstream media. Our research questions were twofold: how\u2009did authors frame their work and appraise humanitarian structures?; and how did they reflect and amplify humanitarian issues of the time? The main themes included: personal challenges of humanitarian life; characterisation of stakeholders; and systemic issues within the humanitarian sector. The SAW narratives reveal a powerful discourse of discontent. They planted seeds of change regarding shifting power, coloniality and racism, sexual abuse, and duty of care. We argue that such public discourse has symbolic power, calling for greater accountability, equity, and justice in remaking the future of the humanitarian sector.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1111\/disa.12651","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,16]],"date-time":"2024-07-16T00:55:06Z","timestamp":1721091306000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Public discourse narratives: from \u2018Secret Aid Worker\u2019 discontent to shifting power in humanitarian systems"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"49","author":[{"given":"Hannah","family":"Strohmeier","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of International Health Charit\u00e9 \u2013 Universit\u00e4tsmedizin Berlin  Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Unni","family":"Karunakara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Global Health Justice Partnership Yale Law School  United States"},{"name":"Yale School of Public Health  United States"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Catherine","family":"Panter\u2010Brick","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Jackson School of Global Affairs Yale University  United States"},{"name":"Department of Anthropology Yale University  United States"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_9_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/maq.12139"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.9783\/9780812291698"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2014.05.053"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_5_1","unstructured":"Ainsworth D.(2024)\u20185 things we've learned about localization\u2019. Devex website. 27 March.https:\/\/www.devex.com\/news\/5-things-we-ve-learned-about-localization-107352(last accessed on 25 June 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_6_1","volume-title":"Chasing Chaos: My Decade In and Out of Humanitarian Aid","author":"Alexander J.","year":"2013"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_7_1","unstructured":"Ali D.andM\u2010R. RomainMurphy(2020)Black Lives Matter is also a reckoning for foreign aid and international NGOs. openDemocracy website. 19 July.https:\/\/www.opendemocracy.net\/en\/transformation\/black-lives-matter-also-reckoning-foreign-aid-and-international-ngos\/(last accessed on 25 June 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.9783\/9780812291698-007"},{"issue":"28","key":"e_1_2_9_9_1","article-title":"Who gets to decolonise humanitarianism?","author":"Aloudat T.","year":"2021","journal-title":"Centre for Humanitarian Action website."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_10_1","volume-title":"Constructive Deconstruction: Imagining Alternative Humanitarian Action","author":"Bennett C.","year":"2018"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_11_1","volume-title":"Another Day in Paradise: International Humanitarian Workers Tell Their Stories","author":"Bergman C.","year":"2003"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s41018-021-00112-9"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/disa.12607"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_14_1","volume-title":"Forces of Compassion: Humanitarianism Between Ethics and Politics","author":"Bornstein E.","year":"2011"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_15_1","volume-title":"Hope in Hell: Inside the World of Doctors Without Borders","author":"Bortolotti D.","year":"2004"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/13620-004"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_17_1","volume-title":"Emergency Sex and Other Desperate Measures: A True Story from Hell on Earth","author":"Cain K.","year":"2004"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_18_1","first-page":"256","volume-title":"Humanitarianism: A Dictionary of Concepts","author":"Chouliaraki L.","year":"2019"},{"issue":"19","key":"e_1_2_9_19_1","article-title":"Ten years on: learning from the Steve Dennis case","author":"Clamp D.","year":"2022","journal-title":"GISF (Global Interagency Security Forum) website."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/17512786.2020.1851611"},{"issue":"20","key":"e_1_2_9_21_1","article-title":"Q&A: Degan Ali on the systemic racism impacting humanitarian responses","author":"Cornish L.","year":"2019","journal-title":"Devex website."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_22_1","unstructured":"Cornish L.(2021)\u2018After 3\u2009years of #AidToo the focus has shifted inward \u2013 but is that enough?\u2019. Devex website. 12 January.https:\/\/www.devex.com\/news\/after-3-years-of-aidtoo-the-focus-has-shifted-inward-but-is-that-enough-98826(last accessed on 25 June 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_23_1","unstructured":"Currion P.(2018)Network Humanitarianism. HPG Working Paper. May. Humanitarian Policy Group Overseas Development Institute London."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_24_1","unstructured":"Currion P.(2020)\u2018Decolonising aid again\u2019. The New Humanitarian website.13 July.https:\/\/www.thenewhumanitarian.org\/opinion\/2020\/07\/13\/decolonisation-aid-humanitarian-development-racism-black-lives-matter(last accessed on 25 June 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_25_1","unstructured":"Dennis S.(2015)\u2018Fund aid worker Steve Dennis to access justice\u2019. FundRazr website.7 September.https:\/\/fundrazr.com\/712IC2?ref=ab_8Qd8kcbp87G8Qd8kcbp87G(last accessed on 25 June 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Dunivin Z.O. H.Y.Yan J.Ince andF.Rojas(2022)\u2018Black Lives Matter protests shift public discourse\u2019.PNAS: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.119(10). Article number:e2117320119.https:\/\/doi.org\/https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.2117320119.","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2117320119"},{"issue":"15","key":"e_1_2_9_27_1","article-title":"Decolonising development narratives","author":"Elahee S.","year":"2021","journal-title":"Views & Voices (Oxfam) website."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_28_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1215\/08992363-2007-007"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_29_1","volume-title":"Inside the Everyday Lives of Development Workers: The Challenges and Futures of Aidland","author":"Fechter A\u2010M.","year":"2011"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_30_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2014.09.027"},{"issue":"12","key":"e_1_2_9_31_1","article-title":"A guide to coding qualitative research data","author":"Good H.","year":"2023","journal-title":"Dovetail website."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13552074.2015.1095542"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_33_1","unstructured":"Holden S. I.Blackley Z.Said\u2010Wardell A.Mills andM.Sato(2018\u201319) \u2018Disparities in pay amongst foreign and local aid workers\u2019. Anthropology of Aid (University of Manchester) website.https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/anthropology-of-aid\/the-issues\/professions-of-doing-good\/2018-9-disparities-in-pay-amongst-foreign-and-local-aid-workers\/(last accessed on 25 June 2024)."},{"issue":"18","key":"e_1_2_9_34_1","article-title":"Dennis vs Norwegian Refugee Council: implications for duty of care","author":"Hoppe K.","year":"2016","journal-title":"Humanitarian Practice Network website."},{"issue":"6","key":"e_1_2_9_35_1","article-title":"Why a commonly held idea of what aid workers are like fails to tell the full story","author":"Houldey G.","year":"2017","journal-title":"The Conversation website."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_36_1","volume-title":"The Grand Bargain (official website)","author":"IASC (Inter\u2010Agency Standing Committee)"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_37_1","volume-title":"IASC Minimum Standards on Duty of Care in the Context of COVID\u201019","author":"IASC","year":"2020"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_38_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/01436597.2021.2023318"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_39_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2021-005604"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_40_1","unstructured":"Khan T.(2021) \u2018Decolonisation is a comfortable buzzword for the aid sector\u2019. openDemocracy website.15 January.https:\/\/www.opendemocracy.net\/en\/decolonisation-comfortable-buzzword-aid-sector\/(last accessed on 25 June 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_41_1","volume-title":"White Saviorism in International Development: Theories, Practices, and Lived Experiences","author":"Khan T.","year":"2023"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_42_1","volume-title":"What Really Matters: Living a Moral Life Amidst Uncertainty and Danger","author":"Kleinman A.","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_43_1","volume-title":"Open letter to senior management and colleagues in MSF: beyond words to anti\u2010racist action","author":"Liesner F.","year":"2020"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_44_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1215\/9780822375364"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_45_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/acrefore\/9780190228613.013.420"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_46_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2019-001593","article-title":"Duty of care and health worker protections in the age of Ebola: lessons from M\u00e9decins Sans Fronti\u00e8res","volume":"4","author":"McDiarmid M.","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMJ Global Health"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_47_1","unstructured":"McVeigh K.(2020)\u2018M\u00e9decins Sans Fronti\u00e8res is \u201cinstitutionally racist\u201d say 1 000 insiders\u2019.The Guardianwebsite.10 July.https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2020\/jul\/10\/medecins-sans-frontieres-institutionally-racist-medical-charity-colonialism-white-supremacy-msf(last accessed on 25 June 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_48_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12992-019-0515-5"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_49_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3167\/9780857451101"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_50_1","unstructured":"2022 MSF Staff Data and Trends Report 2023"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_51_1","unstructured":"MSF Eastern Africa(2022)Anti\u2010Racism: When You Picture Doctors Without Borders What Do You See?YouTube website.https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3dpIAPPm66I(last accessed on 25 June 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_52_1","unstructured":"Naik A.(2022)\u2018Tackling sexual exploitation and abuse by aid workers: what has changed 20\u2009years on?\u2019.HumanitarianExchange. 81 (June). Humanitarian Practice Network Overseas Development Institute London."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_53_1","unstructured":"Noble E.L.(2013)Social Media and the Transformation of the Humanitarian Narrative: A Comparative Analysis of Humanitarian Discourse in Libya 2011 and Bosnia 1994. Political Science Honors Projects. Paper 42. Macalester College St Paul MN.http:\/\/digitalcommons.macalester.edu\/poli_honors\/42(last accessed on 25 June 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_54_1","volume-title":"Localization","author":"OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_55_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/disa.12353"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_56_1","volume-title":"An Imperfect Offering: Humanitarian Action for the Twenty\u2010First Century","author":"Orbinski J.","year":"2008"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_57_1","first-page":"32","volume-title":"Amidst the Debris: Humanitarianism and the End of Liberal Order","author":"Owen G.","year":"2021"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_58_1","volume-title":"Inclusive Language Guide","author":"Oxfam GB","year":"2023"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_59_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psyneuen.2024.107084"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_60_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4103\/intv.intv_18_21"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_61_1","unstructured":"Prom\u2010Jackson S.(2023)Review of Measures and Mechanisms for Addressing Racism and Racial Discrimination in United Nations System Organizations: Managing for Achieving Organizational Effectiveness. Note of the Joint Inspection Unit. JIU\/NOTE\/2022\/1\/Rev.1. United Nations Geneva."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_62_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1525\/9780520955189"},{"issue":"13","key":"e_1_2_9_63_1","article-title":"The failure of duty of care: the case of Steve Dennis","author":"Riglietti G.","year":"2023","journal-title":"About Resilience website."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_64_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7227\/JHA.052"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_65_1","volume-title":"Localization: A \u2018Landscape\u2019","author":"Robillard S.C.","year":"2021"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_66_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4324\/9781315797625"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_67_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s41018-019-0051-1"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_68_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s41018-023-00146-1"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_69_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/currents.dis.dd709e442c659e97e2583e0a9986b668"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_70_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/19460171.2011.576520"},{"issue":"5","key":"e_1_2_9_71_1","article-title":"Is racism part of our reluctance to localise humanitarian action?","author":"Slim H.","year":"2020","journal-title":"Humanitarian Practice Network website."},{"issue":"20","key":"e_1_2_9_72_1","article-title":"People power in humanitarian action","author":"Slim H.","year":"2020","journal-title":"Humanitarian Law & Policy website."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_73_1","unstructured":"Slim H.(2022)Solferino 21: Warfare Civilians and Humanitarians in the Twenty\u2010First Century. Hurst & Company London."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_74_1","volume-title":"Humanitarian Workers in South Sudan: Mental Health, Gender, and Organisational Staff Support. A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy","author":"Strohmeier H.","year":"2019"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_75_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0205333"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_76_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4103\/INTV.INTV_22_18"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_77_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0295715"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_78_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/disa.12460"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_79_1","volume-title":"Strategic Action Plan: Report of the Secretary\u2010General's Task Force on Addressing Racism and Promoting Dignity for All in the United Nations Secretariat","author":"Task Force on Addressing Racism and Promoting Dignity for All in the United Nations Secretariat","year":"2021"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_80_1","volume-title":"About us: journalism","author":"The Guardian"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_81_1","unstructured":"The New Humanitarian(2019) \u2018#AidToo: after Oxfam what to watch\u2019. Website. 11 June.https:\/\/www.thenewhumanitarian.org\/news\/2019\/06\/11\/aid-sector-abuse-scandal-aidtoo-after-oxfam-what-watch(last accessed on 25 June 2024)."},{"issue":"13","key":"e_1_2_9_82_1","article-title":"Aid agency actions on racial justice \u201cinadequate","author":"The New Humanitarian","year":"2021","journal-title":"aid workers say\u2019. Website."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_83_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1353\/sor.2016.0030"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_84_1","unstructured":"WHO (World Health Organization)(2015)Health Worker Ebola Infections in Guinea Liberia and Sierra Leone. Preliminary Report. 21 May. WHO Geneva."},{"issue":"5","key":"e_1_2_9_85_1","article-title":"Steve Dennis and the court case that sent waves through the aid industry","author":"Young H.","year":"2015","journal-title":"The Guardian website."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_86_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/disa.12440"}],"container-title":["Disasters"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/disa.12651","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,17]],"date-time":"2025-02-17T23:56:20Z","timestamp":1739836580000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/disa.12651"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,15]]},"references-count":85,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,1]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1111\/disa.12651"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/disa.12651","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["0361-3666","1467-7717"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0361-3666","type":"print"},{"value":"1467-7717","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,15]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2023-08-08","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2024-06-09","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2024-07-15","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}],"article-number":"e12651"}}