Women and the Contested State: Religion, Violence, and Agency in South and Southeast AsiaMonique Skidmore, Patricia Lawrence University of Notre Dame Press, 2007 - 260 pages Throughout South and Southeast Asia, groups battle over definitions of identity--in direction and character--for their state, a struggle complicated by the legacy of colonialism. The contributors to this volume explore the intricate, dynamic relationships that pertain between women's agency and the state-making institutions and armed forces of Kashmir, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Burma (Myanmar). They also address the complex roles of Islam, Hinduism, and Theravada Buddhism in these postcolonial dynamics. In particular, the contributors examine religion as a way of understanding how women's agency is constituted, created, and constrained during times of conflict with the state and other armed actors, such as guerilla groups and paramilitaries. These essays at the intersection of gender, religion, and peace studies will be of interest to a wide range of scholars and students who study conflict and hope for peace in South and Southeast Asia. "The contributors to Women and the Contested State make an original contribution to the field in addressing the link between the sensitive subjects of religion and violence, and of this link as it relates to the question of women's agency in particular Asian nation-states. The issues addressed in this volume will be of interest to scholars in women's or feminist studies, theorists of nationalism, and analysts of political change that is linked to violence and religion." --Sonita Sarker, Macalester College "This is a timely and significant book that will add both to the literature and to the reading public's larger understanding of contemporary events. It tackles core issues of humanity and ethics with honest and sophisticated scholarship. Women and the Contested State will speak to readers across the social sciences and South/SouthEast Asia studies, as well as providing cutting edge resources to NGOs, journalists, and development specialists." --Carolyn Nordstrom, University of Notre Dame |
Contents
Religion and Women in Peace and Conflict Studies | 1 |
Religion and Violence in South Asia | 7 |
PART I | 25 |
Copyright | |
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agency argue Aung San Suu authority Bangladesh Batticaloa Bengali Bihari body Brac Buddhist Burma Burmese citizens civil society claim colonial conflict contemporary contested cult cultural Delhi Democracy Dhaka disappeared discourse dominant dosa edited emerges ethnic everyday father female feminine feminist festival forces forms gender groups Hindu identity India institutions Islam Jordt Kalam lay meditation movement lives LTTE male marriage masculine mass lay meditation Mawanella medaw memories ment mental health NGOs military modern monks moral mother Muslims Myanmar Nat spirit nature NGOs nuclear olence organization Pakistan Peace postcolonial practices public space public sphere Rangoon raped regime relations religion religious ritual role Sangha sasana secular sexual shamanic shrine silence Sinhala Sinhalese social South Asia spirit mediums spirit possession Sri Lanka Sriyalatha story studies suffering Suriya survivors symbolic Tamil women temple Terror tion tradition trauma Udahenagama University Press Veena Das victims village violence woman