ABSTRACT
This chapter explores interfaces between aid workers and aid recipients in contexts of crises and post- crises where much aid is given under the label of humanitarian assistance. It builds on three field researches among formerly displaced people in Northern Uganda, Bhutanese refugees in Nepal, and post- conflict communities of South Sudan. The central question of these researches was: ‘What images do humanitarian aid workers and aid recipients have of themselves and of each other and how are these images related to the legitimacy of aid in the field?’ A major claim we make is that the level of appreciation actors have of one another is an important determinant of aid legitimacy. To put it simply: aid workers that are nice, are more likely to be perceived as doing good.
