The symbolic power of charity, with Jon Dean

With Reason

Society praises those who give, but the ‘good glow’ benefits the giver. Sociologist Jon Dean unpicks how charity operates in the real world, from the wave of Covid-19 volunteering to the new fear of ‘humblebrag’. Can effective altruism help us out of this tangled mess?
For those interested in charity, philanthropy and how to be truly virtuous. Featuring reflection on the Poppy Appeal, the NHS, Donald Trump and more.
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Presenters: Niki Seth-Smith & Samira Shackle
Producer: Alice Bloch
Music by Danosongs
Further reading:
Jon Dean (2020) ‘The Good Glow: Charity and the Symbolic Power of Doing Good’
David A. Fahrenthold ‘Trump boasts about his philanthropy. But his giving falls short of his words’, Washington Post, October 29, 2016.
Anand Giridharadas (2018) ‘Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World’
William MacAskill (2015) ‘Doing Good Better’
Peter Singer (2015) ‘The Most Good You Can Do’
New Humanist magazine (1972) - 'Charities and the Pious Fraud', by Jeremy Sandford