Abstract:
'Humanitarianism' does not speak for itself. It must be understood from the
particular perspective of the individual actors who lay claim to it. This thesis
analyses the role of organisational culture in constituting Oxfam' s humanitarian
practices. It provides a comparative analysis of the agency's organisational culture
during the Cold War and post-Cold War periods. This is done by focusing on the
process of normative change which led to the legitimisation of a limited concept of
the use of force to defend human rights and humanitarianism. A constructivist
analytical framework is applied to a number of historical case studies between
1942 and 1994 to chart the process of normative change in Oxfam's humanitarian
culture. The case studies are: Greece during World War Two, Biafra between 1967
and 1970, East Pakistan in 1971, Cambodia in 1979, northern Iraq in 1991,
Somalia between 1990 and 1993, and the African Great Lakes region in 1994. The
thesis also analyses periods of internal contestation and debate over the legitimacy
of cultural rules, and external challenges to Oxfam' s humanitarian activities which have led to cultural developments, and the adoption of new practices. These
analyses are set against the background of changing normative contexts in the UK
(in terms of charity law) and at an international level (in terms of intemationallaw
and state practice ). These contexts are characterised as constraints and
enablements on the possibilities for action created by Oxfam's changing
humanitarian culture. The thesis bases its empirical analysis on archival
documentary research and interviews with current and former Oxfam staff.
