Anthropology, politics and the state : democracy and violence in South Asia / Jonathan Spencer.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Spencer, Jonathan, 1954- author.

Series:

New departures in anthropology.

New departures in anthropology

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political anthropology--South Asia.

Political anthropology.

Politics and culture--South Asia.

Politics and culture.

Political violence--South Asia.

Political violence.

Democracy--South Asia.

Democracy.

South Asia--Politics and government.

South Asia.

South Asia--Ethnic relations.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiii, 203 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Other Title:

Anthropology, Politics, & the State

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In recent years anthropology has rediscovered its interest in politics. Building on the findings of this research, this book, first published in 2007, analyses the relationship between culture and politics, with special attention to democracy, nationalism, the state and political violence. Beginning with scenes from an unruly early 1980s election campaign in Sri Lanka, it covers issues from rural policing in north India to slum housing in Delhi, presenting arguments about secularism and pluralism, and the ambiguous energies released by electoral democracy across the subcontinent. It ends by discussing feminist peace activists in Sri Lanka, struggling to sustain a window of shared humanity after two decades of war. Bringing together and linking the themes of democracy, identity and conflict, this important new study shows how anthropology can take a central role in understanding other people's politics, especially the issues that seem to have divided the world since 9/11.

Contents:

Cover; Half-title; Title; Copyright; Contents; List of illustrations; Acknowledgements; ONE The Strange Death of Political Anthropology; TWO Locating the Political; THREE Culture, Nation, and Misery; FOUR Performing Democracy; FIVE States and Persons; SIX The State and Violence; SEVEN Pluralism in Theory, Pluralism in Practice; EIGHT Politics and Counter-politicspolitics; Bibliography; Index

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references (p. 186-199) and index.

ISBN:

1-107-17405-8

1-281-77571-1

9786611775711

0-511-80185-8

0-511-42372-1

0-511-42255-5

0-511-42420-5

0-511-42189-3

0-511-42321-7

OCLC:

476178265