Social History

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    Language and Hegemony in Sri Lanka: Omissions as Ominous Signs?

Language and Hegemony in Sri Lanka: Omissions as Ominous Signs?

In this post Stephanie Nicolle examines the histories of language in Sri Lanka and analyses the implications of the growing presence of Mandarin on public signage in the country. She explores the relationship between language and political power and provides a critique of how language omissions are symptomatic of projects that promote one language.
A signboard at the Attorney General’s (AG) […]

September 20th, 2021|Featured|0 Comments|

It’s Time to Stop Looking for the Mahatma

In this post Anwesha Roy explores the historical significance of M. K. Gandhi’s philosophy for the nation. She argues that the current desire for another ‘Mahatma’ to lead India out of its current difficult times is contrary to Gandhi’s belief that self-reliance was the key to progress.

 

Every year, on 30th January, the Indian nation is collectively reminded of a […]

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    Indonesia’s Mujahidin Timur, Past and Present: Peripheral Jihad Against a Broader Social History

Indonesia’s Mujahidin Timur, Past and Present: Peripheral Jihad Against a Broader Social History

In this article Charles Baker examines the historical roots of Indonesia’s Mujahidin Indonesia Timur, a militant jihadi organisation. He argues that the state must address major socio-economic discrepancies and perceptions of neglect in order to tackle movements propagated by organisations like MIT. 

Over the past four years in Poso, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia’s security forces have been engaged in a protracted […]

December 4th, 2020|Uncategorized|1 Comment|

The ‘Pizza Effect’ on Nations and Nationalism

In this article Curtis Large analyses the effect of ‘re-enculturation’ on nations and nationalism. Drawing on the notion of ‘invented traditions’, he explores different ways in which the ‘pizza effect’ can impact ethnic and political communities. He argues that this phenomenon might materialise in several ways, including by fostering ‘hot nationalism’ and solidifying hierarchies.

The Day of the Dead in […]

November 11th, 2020|Uncategorized|0 Comments|
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    Reclaiming ‘Colombian’ identity: the toppling of the Belalcázar monument

Reclaiming ‘Colombian’ identity: the toppling of the Belalcázar monument

In this article, Charlotte Eaton explores the significance of the recent toppling of the Sebastián de Belalcázar statue in Popayán, Colombia. She looks at the decision of the Colombian authorities to commission this, and other statues, to Spanish sculptors in the 1930s. Thus, she argues that the importance of this act by a group of indigenous protestors lies in […]

October 5th, 2020|Uncategorized|1 Comment|

Yezidis: Melodies of Mourning and Remembrance

In this article Kasia Micklem explores the revival of musical traditions among Yezidi communities in refugee camps in Iraq and argues that through music the ostracised populace is able to preserve its history, identity and heritage despite systematic attacks by the so-called Islamic State to erase the non-Muslim ‘other’.

The Yezidis are a Kurdish-speaking religious minority that first emerged as […]

September 13th, 2020|Uncategorized|0 Comments|

In Plain Sight: Black Lives Matter and Italy’s Colonial Past

The shooting of George Floyd sent shockwaves across the world, as protests against police brutality, racism, and symbols of slavery and colonial oppression escalated rapidly, often resulting in physical violence. In this article, Marianna Griffini explores the repercussions of the Black Lives Matter movement on Italy’s vexed relationship with its colonial past.

In the wake of the killing of […]

August 25th, 2020|Uncategorized|2 Comments|

Imagined Communities in an Age of Global Pandemic

In Benedict Anderson’s ‘Imagined Communities’, he argued that the novel and the newspaper were the key mediums of the imagined community. However, in our increasingly connected and globalised world, the internet provides us with a shared digital culture that allows us to communicate with one another across the globe. In the latest LSE International History blog, Trinity College Dublin PhD […]

Regulating Religious Rites: Did British Regulation of ‘Noise Worship’ Trigger the 1915 Riots in Ceylon?

Violence targeting the Muslim community has recently increased in Sri Lanka. The latest outbreak of violence occurred in March 2018. An isolated traffic dispute between a group of Muslims and a Sinhalese man led to the death of the Sinhalese man. In retaliation for the death, militant groups incited others to commit violence against Muslims. Sinhala-Buddhist mobs subsequently attacked […]

March 31st, 2018|Uncategorized|0 Comments|

Violence and Peace: The Rhetoric of Death in Social Movement Discourse

This piece intends to discuss a specific rhetoric of death and killings in academic commentary on social movements, some of which emerged in popular scholarship following the publication and subsequent retraction of a controversial article by Bruce Gilly. Senior scholars have already issued reasoned critiques of the original article itself.

In October 2017, an article hailing the benefits of colonialism appeared […]

January 11th, 2018|Uncategorized|1 Comment|