Case study of Palestinian refugees from Gaza Strip
Paternalism in Support Work
Many scholars argue that paternalism is most powerful when it goes unrecognized. As Michael Barnett notes, paternalism often shapes humanitarian relationships in subtle ways that volunteers and aid workers may not immediately see (71). This makes it especially important for people engaged in support or solidarity work to pay close attention to how relational hierarchies and assumptions emerge in everyday interactions.
As Ilana Feldman suggests (72), actually-existing paternalism is defined not only by the intentions of those who provide aid, but also by the experiences and reactions of those who receive it. In other words, paternalism becomes visible through how recipients respond to it.
Paternalism in the Palestinian Refugee Experience
For many Palestinian refugees, humanitarian assistance is often perceived as deeply paternalistic. Accepting aid may feel like accepting externally imposed assumptions that they are weak, dependent, or lacking agency. Because of this, many Palestinians engage in various forms of resistance — either by reshaping humanitarian relationships or avoiding them altogether.
Not everyone refuses aid. Many accept its paternalistic aspects because they see it as unavoidable, or because they lack the resources or power to challenge it. Yet others actively refuse — revealing how refugees understand and contest the hierarchies embedded in humanitarian structures.
Purpose of This Lesson
In this lesson, you will be introduced to three forms of refugee refusal, based on Feldman’s analysis. Understanding these strategies is crucial for volunteers, because it helps us:
Recognize refugee agency
Challenge our own paternalistic assumptions
Create space for refugee perspectives
Use our positions to critique organizations and existing structures
Three Forms of Refugee Refusal
▶1. Refusal of Humanitarianism Entirely
This is the most dramatic — and least common — form of refusal. Some refugees reject humanitarian aid altogether, including refusing to register for services. This refusal is a political act. It:
Asserts autonomy and the right to act independently
Challenges the legitimacy of humanitarian institutions
Exposes how paternalistic structures shape aid distribution
Insists on maintaining agency even under extreme need
This path can be risky, as refusing aid may leave individuals without support. Yet it directly confronts paternalism as a structuring condition of humanitarian life.
▶2. Refusal Within Humanitarianism
Far more common are everyday acts of resistance within the humanitarian system. Refugees may negotiate or challenge certain rules, question aid policies, reject specific interventions, push back against intrusive practices, or set limits on the authority aid workers assume.
These actions show that refugees are not passive beneficiaries. They exercise judgment, defend their dignity, and attempt to shape the conditions of their own assistance.
▶3. Pursuing Alternatives Beyond Humanitarianism
Some refugees build alternative political or social structures that bypass humanitarian systems altogether — community-led initiatives, grassroots self-organization, mutual aid networks, local political activism, and cooperative economic structures.
These alternatives may not remove humanitarian hierarchies completely, but they reduce dependency, limit paternalistic influence, and imagine futures outside the constraints of aid.
Why These Forms Matter
Together, these strategies reveal that recipients of aid are active agents who negotiate, resist, and reinterpret humanitarian structures — asserting their autonomy, challenging paternalistic assumptions, and influencing how humanitarian systems evolve.
By recognizing these forms of refusal, volunteers can better understand the dynamics of power within humanitarian work and act in solidarity with refugees rather than reproducing paternalistic patterns.
