Complex Connections
Identity, Autonomy, and Constructing the New Self and New Social: A Review of the Ayyavazhi Movement of Travancore Kingdom
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session L David Lal
Indian society is comprised of numerous social identities, however, it has the unique distinction of defining of social through caste. Groups located at the lowest rung of social categorisation began their quest for autonomy through movements of various nature. This paper considers the interaction of global and local by reviewing questions of individual and collective autonomy of people from Shanar community and their definition of new social. Inspired by the global Christian missionary teachings, Ayya Vaikundar successfully experimented with local practises to construct a new social through the Ayyavazhi movement. As the imagination and lived reality of social was defined by caste in India, this movement began with issues of individual autonomy by practises such as Kannadi Vazhipadu - mirror worship (worshipping themselves) that provided a new self to the community. Moreover, by establishing Samthuva Samajam - society for equality, it re-defined the established traditional meanings of equality for the community. With definitions of self and social, the Ayyavazhi community has shaped a new lived reality moving away from caste while offering individual and collective meaning in social life. This paper raises several significant questions including: Can a movement that occurred in a particular time and space provide us a meaning of new social? How does the new social replace the old social and in what way? What lessons of individual and collective autonomy we can seek from this movement? This study is based on field visits, narratives, literature review and archival material.
Decolonizing Solidarity Against Structural Violence by Incorporating Community Narratives
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Rakhshanda Saleem
Structural violence embedded in systems and institutions of society has a detrimental impact on marginalized communities. Social, economic, and political inequalities, exclusion, and violent acts (i.e. hate crimes) are examples of systemically supported violence. Although there are differences and unique challenges faced by each community, many forms of structural violence share significant commonalities and are connected within global historical and ongoing geopolitical inequalities. Thus, it is imperative for social justice advocacy aimed at dismantling these systems to develop transnational intersectional analysis. This must include inclusion of the voices, struggles, and lived experiences of marginalized individuals to inform an intersectional analysis that incorporates global hierarchical realities. In this community-engaged project, interviews were conducted across three distinct communities within the US: (1)Muslims, (2) immigrant Latina women with undocumented status, and (3) LGBTQ+ persons who have experienced incarceration. The purpose of these interviews was to gain an understanding of the experiences and differences in the structural violence experienced by three unique communities as well as their commonalities and interconnections. The stories were analyzed using thematic analysis, and themes detailing the impact of structural violence on individual wellbeing were identified within the context of their intersecting identities. Furthermore, this research centered stories of resilience, community, and resistance providing a narrative not limited to being a victim of systemic violence. We analyze the geopolitical implications, particularly the role of forced migration, politics of imperialistic militarism, and racism in maintaining these brutal and inhumane conditions. We advocate an approach that decolonizes discourses that uphold inequitable systems.
Archetypal Politics in the Start-up Nation of Israel: The Journey of an Unlikely Hero
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Antti Tarvainen
The paper introduces ‘archetypal politics’ as an analytical tactic to study the destabilisation and stabilisation of national imaginaries in the midst of 'globalisation processes'. The concept is developed through an empirical study of 'heroic' narrations of Israeli Palestinian entrepreneurs in the 'start-up nation' of Israel. In 2015 the Israeli right-wing government presented a “five year plan for the economic development of the minority sector” and started to integrate the Palestinians of Israel into its celebrated innovation economy. This marked a radical shift in the government policies as the Israeli Palestinians have been historically excluded from 'access to globalisation' (Jamal 2009). The sphere of high-tech entrepreneurship especially is filled with exclusionary Zionist imaginary: it is perceived not just as the most valued labour market in Israel, but also as a manifestation of Zionist spirit. The key material of this paper consists of eight narratives and images collected among the first generation of Israeli Palestinian high-tech entrepreneurs. Through an archetypal reading, I trace how the rigid forms of zionism become challenged/reproduced as the Israeli Palestinian entrepreneurs, for the first time, join this pristine global site of capital in Israel. Inspired by C.G Jung and Joseph Campbell, their inclusion 'into the global' is examined through the archetype of the 'hero'. By weaving deconstructive globalisation theory into their narratives, I argue that these entrepreneurs take part in the rooting of Zionist enlightenment myths into a global space, and thus play heroes in a story that ultimately denies their collective connection to the land.
