Hilde Van Den Bulck - Celebrity Philanthropy and Activism

In recent years, celebrity philanthropy and activism has attracted much attention from the media, sparking a great deal of public interest. As exponents and endorsers of the marketisation and corporatisation of philanthropy and activism, globally renowned super-celebrities habitually lend their name, time and energy to a range of causes. They help raise awareness, generate funds and endeavour to evoke social and political responses to crucial societal issues. These can range from domestic violence, cancer prevention, climate change and transgender acceptance, to refugee problems and fighting poverty at home and abroad. But in what ways do (mediated communications about) these celebrities have the power to define what is going wrong in the world, who or what is to blame, how this can be solved and how this is to be evaluated morally and ethically? Does celebrity humanitarianism and activism serve to reinforce postcolonial power relations or does it help solve social problems, advancing traditional views on how society is, and should be, organised? Importantly, more than conceptual and empirical exploration of celebrity philanthropy and activism as such, this book analyses the mediated communication, the mediatised narratives that these endeavours provide.

Combining insights from philanthropy and welfare regime studies, international politics and diplomacy, postcolonial studies, but also from marketing, from celebrity, star and fan studies, and from media, communication and cultural studies, this book critically analyses the mediated discourses and debates that celebrity philanthropy and activism provokes, and considers wider ethical and theoretical perspectives. It will be of interest to all scholars and students working in sociology, health and social care and social policy.

Hilde Van den Bulck (Ph.D.) is full professor of Communication Studies and head of the Media, Policy & Culture research group at the University of Antwerp. She holds an MA in communications from the KULeuven (B), an MA in mass communications from the University of Leicester (UK) and a Ph.D. in social sciences from the KULeuven (B). She combines complementary expertise in media structures and media cultures. For the past ten years, an important part of her research has focused on the cultural significance and societal role of mediated communication from and about celebrities in general, and celebrity philanthropy and activism in particular.

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Ethnic Identity and US Immigration Policy Reform
American Citizenship and Belonging amongst Hispanic Immigrants
Maria del Mar Farina

Research and Evaluation in Community, Health and Social Care Settings
Experiences from Practice
Edited by Suzanne Guerin, Nirn Hayes and Sinead McNally

Celebrity Philanthropy and Activism
Mediated Interventions in the Global Public Sphere
Hilde Van den Bulck

For a full list of titles in this series, please visit https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Advances-in-Health-and-Social-Policy/book-series/RAHSP

First published 2018
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017

2018 Hilde Van den Bulck

The right of Hilde Van den Bulck to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Bulck, Hilde van den, author.
Title: Celebrity philanthropy and activism: mediated interventions in the global public sphere / Hilde Van den Bulck.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge, 2018. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017058512 | Subjects: LCSH: Philanthropists. | CelebritiesPolitical activity. | Celebrities in mass media. | Humanitarianism.
Classification: LCC HV16 .B85 2018 | DDC 361.7/4dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017058512

ISBN: 978-1-138-23445-1 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-30687-2 (ebk)

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Writing a monograph often feels like the loneliest of undertakings. It is, in fact, very much a group effort. Therefore, some heartfelt thank yous are in order. First of all, academic knowledge is built incrementally and one studys groundwork is based on insights developed by others. So, while trying to add to the conversation, the book is very much based in an interdisciplinary exercise to bring together the work of key authors in the fields of philanthropy and welfare state studies, celebrity and star studies, as well as media, communication and cultural studies. Going through the book, the reader will come across the names of key influential figures I am indebted to. I am particularly grateful for the insights provided by those working specifically on celebrity philanthropy and activism in the field of international relations and diplomacy, development and humanitarianism, including Annika Bergman Rosamond, Dan Brockington, Lilie Chouliaraki, Stefano Ponte, Lisa Ann Richey, Mark Wheeler and many other inspired and inspiring colleagues. A special thank you to Dr. Koen Panis and Dr. Nathalie Claessens, my former Ph.D. students and partners in crime in my early exploration of the topic. Further gratitude is due to my colleagues at the Department of Communication at the University of Antwerp for their continued interest in my work and their patience while I went underground to write the book. Sincere apologies to various academic collaborators who patiently waited for me to finish the book so I could dedicate myself to our joint projects. These are now at the top of my to-do list.

I very much like to thank Lianne Sherlock, then assistant editor at Ashgate, for the wonderful support and feedback while developing the books outline and for guiding me in securing the book contract. Gratitude is due to the anonymous reviewer of the books outline, who provided valuable feedback. Thank you also to Georgia Priestley, editorial assistant at Routledge for the continued support during the writing of the book and to the editorial team for their excellent handling of the manuscript to turn it into this book.