(Mis)placing race: Deconstructing myth in televised advertisements for three child sponsorship organizations

Abstract

Direct Response Television (DRTV) programming for child sponsorship is an extremely effective form of fundraising in Canada. However, it also proves to be one way in which racialized knowledge is being reproduced. This project deconstructs the DRTV for three child-sponsorship NGOs: World Vision Canada, Plan Canada, and Christian Children's Fund. What the analysis reveals is a type of advertising dependent on antiquated dynamics of colonial dominance between Canada and Africa. This project also explores the reasons for its success despite Canada's anti-racist rhetoric. Drawing from the works of Roland Barthes, Pierre Bourdieu, Fances Henry and Carol Tator, and others, this study draws conclusions about the cultural identity of the Canadian mainstream, and proposes critical consumption and the questioning of sociocultural norms as a way forward.