Everyday Occupations: Experiencing Militarism in South Asia and the Middle East (Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights)

In the twenty-first century, political conflict and militarization have come to constitute a global social condition rather than a political exception. Military occupation increasingly informs the politics of both democracies and dictatorships, capitalist and formerly socialist regimes, raising questions about its relationship to sovereignty and the nation-state form. Israel and India are two of the world's most powerful postwar democracies yet have long-standing military occupations. Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Turkey have passed through periods of military dictatorship, but democracy has yielded little for their ethnic minorities who have been incorporated into the electoral process. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh (like India, Pakistan, and Turkey) have felt the imprint of socialism; declarations of peace after long periods of conflict in these countries have not improved the conditions of their minority or indigenous peoples but rather have resulted in "violent peace" and remilitarization. Indeed, the existence of standing troops and ongoing state violence against peoples struggling for self-determination in these regions suggests the expanding and everyday nature of military occupation. Such everydayness raises larger issues about the dominant place of the military in society and the social values surrounding militarism. Everyday Occupations examines militarization from the standpoints of both occupier and occupied. With attention to gender, poetics, satire, and popular culture, contributors who have lived and worked in occupied areas in the Middle East and South Asia explore what kinds of society are foreclosed or made possible by militarism. The outcome is a powerful contribution to the ethnography of political violence. Contributors: Nosheen Ali, Kabita Chakma, Richard Falk, Sandya Hewamanne, Mohamad Junaid, Rhoda Kanaaneh, Hisyar Ozsoy, Cheran Rudhramoorthy, Serap Ruken Sengul, Kamala Visweswaran. In The Twenty-first Century, Political Conflict And Militarization Have Come To Constitute A Global Social Condition Rather Than A Political Exception. Military Occupation Increasingly Informs The Politics Of Both Democracies And Dictatorships, Capitalist And Formerly Socialist Regimes, Raising Questions About Its Relationship To Sovereignty And The Nation-state Form. Israel And India Are Two Of The World's Most Powerful Postwar Democracies Yet Have Long-standing Military Occupations. Pakistan, Bangladesh, And Turkey Have Passed Through Periods Of Military Dictatorship, But Democracy Has Yielded Little For Their Ethnic Minorities Who Have Been Incorporated Into The Electoral Process. Sri Lanka And Bangladesh (like India, Pakistan, And Turkey) Have Felt The Imprint Of Socialism; Declarations Of Peace After Long Periods Of Conflict In These Countries Have Not Improved The Conditions Of Their Minority Or Indigenous Peoples But Rather Have Resulted In Violent Peace And Remilitarization. Indeed, The Existence Of Standing Troops And Ongoing State Violence Against Peoples Struggling For Self-determination In These Regions Suggests The Expanding And Everyday Nature Of Military Occupation. Such Everydayness Raises Larger Issues About The Dominant Place Of The Military In Society And The Social Values Surrounding Militarism. Everyday Occupations Examines Militarization From The Standpoints Of Both Occupier And Occupied. With Attention To Gender, Poetics, Satire, And Popular Culture, Contributors Who Have Lived And Worked In Occupied Areas In The Middle East And South Asia Explore What Kinds Of Society Are Foreclosed Or Made Possible By Militarism. The Outcome Is A Powerful Contribution To The Ethnography Of Political Violence.--publisher's Website. Qırıx : An Inverted Rhapsody On Kurdish National Struggle, Gender, And Everyday Life In Diyarbakı / Serap Ruken Sengul -- The War Zone In My Heart : The Occupation Of Southern Sri Lanka / Sandya Hewamanne -- Grounding Militarism : Structures Of Feeling And Force In Gilgit-baltistan / Nosheen Ali -- Stateless Citizens And Menacing Men : Notes On The Occupation Of Palestinians Inside Israel / Rhoda Kanaaneh -- Indigenous Women And Culture In The Colonized Chittagong Hill Tracts Of Bangladesh / Kabita Chakma And Glen Hill -- Death And Life Under Occupation : Space, Violence, And Memory In Kashmir / Mohamad Junaid -- The Missing Grave Of Sheikh Said : Kurdish Formations Of Memory, Place, And Sovereignty In Turkey / Hisyar Oszoy. Edited By Kamala Visweswaran. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.

In the twenty-first century, political conflict and militarization have come to constitute a global social condition rather than a political exception. Military occupation increasingly informs the politics of both democracies and dictatorships, capitalist and formerly socialist regimes, raising questions about its relationship to sovereignty and the nation-state form. Israel and India are two of the world's most powerful postwar democracies yet have long-standing military occupations. Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Turkey have passed through periods of military dictatorship, but democracy has yielded little for their ethnic minorities who have been incorporated into the electoral process. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh (like India, Pakistan, and Turkey) have felt the imprint of socialism; declarations of peace after long periods of conflict in these countries have not improved the conditions of their minority or indigenous peoples but rather have resulted in "violent peace" and remilitarization. Indeed, the existence of standing troops and ongoing state violence against peoples struggling for self-determination in these regions suggests the expanding and everyday nature of military occupation. Such everydayness raises larger issues about the dominant place of the military in society and the social values surrounding militarism.

Everyday Occupations examines militarization from the standpoints of both occupier and occupied. With attention to gender, poetics, satire, and popular culture, contributors who have lived and worked in occupied areas in the Middle East and South Asia explore what kinds of society are foreclosed or made possible by militarism. The outcome is a powerful contribution to the ethnography of political violence.

Contributors: Nosheen Ali, Kabita Chakma, Richard Falk, Sandya Hewamanne, Mohamad Junaid, Rhoda Kanaaneh, Hisyar Ozsoy, Cheran Rudhramoorthy, Serap Ruken Sengul, Kamala Visweswaran.

"In the twenty-first century, political conflict and militarization have come to constitute a global social condition rather than a political exception. Military occupation increasingly informs the politics of both democracies and dictatorships, capitalist and formerly socialist regimes, raising questions about its relationship to sovereignty and the nation-state form. Israel and India are two of the world's most powerful postwar democracies yet have long-standing military occupations. Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Turkey have passed through periods of military dictatorship, but democracy has yielded little for their ethnic minorities who have been incorporated into the electoral process. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh (like India, Pakistan, and Turkey) have felt the imprint of socialism; declarations of peace after long periods of conflict in these countries have not improved the conditions of their minority or indigenous peoples but rather have resulted in "violent peace" and remilitarization. Indeed, the existence of standing troops and ongoing state violence against peoples struggling for self-determination in these regions suggests the expanding and everyday nature of military occupation. Such everydayness raises larger issues about the dominant place of the military in society and the social values surrounding militarism. Everyday Occupations examines militarization from the standpoints of both occupier and occupied. With attention to gender, poetics, satire, and popular culture, contributors who have lived and worked in occupied areas in the Middle East and South Asia explore what kinds of society are foreclosed or made possible by militarism. The outcome is a powerful contribution to the ethnography of political violence."--Résumé de l'éditeur In the twenty-first century, political conflict and militarization have come to constitute a global social condition rather than a political exception. Military occupation increasingly informs the politics of both democracies and dictatorships, capitalist and formerly socialist regimes, raising questions about its relationship to sovereignty and the nation-state form. Israel and India are two of the world's most powerful postwar democracies yet have long-standing military occupations. Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Turkey have passed through periods of military dictatorship, but democracy has yielded little for their ethnic minorities who have been incorporated into the electoral process. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh (like India, Pakistan, and Turkey) have felt the imprint of socialism; declarations of peace after long periods of conflict in these countries have not improved the conditions of their minority or indigenous peoples but rather have resulted in "violent peace" and remilitarization. Indeed, the existence of standing troops and ongoing state violence against peoples struggling for self-determination in these regions suggests the expanding and everyday nature of military occupation. Such everydayness raises larger issues about the dominant place of the military in society and the social values surrounding militarism.__Everyday Occupations__**Contributors:** Cover Title Copyright Contents Healing the Forest Introduction: Geographies of Everyday Occupation Chapter 1. Qirix: An ‘‘Inverted Rhapsody’’ on Kurdish National Struggle, Gender, and Everyday Life in Diyarbakir Chapter 2. The War Zone in My Heart: The Occupation of Southern Sri Lanka Chapter 3. Grounding Militarism: Structures of Feeling and Force in Gilgit-Baltistan Chapter 4. Stateless Citizens and Menacing Men: Notes on the Occupation of Palestinians Inside Israel Chapter 5. Indigenous Women and Culture in the Colonized Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh Chapter 6. Death and Life Under Occupation: Space, Violence, and Memory in Kashmir Chapter 7. The Missing Grave of Sheikh Said: Kurdish Formations of Memory, Place, and Sovereignty in Turkey Afterword: Refining the Optic of Occupation Some Day Notes List of Contributors Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z Acknowledgments Everyday Occupations engages visual culture and the ethnography of space, satire and parody, poetry and political critique to examine militarization as it is wielded as a cultural and political tool, and as it is experienced as a material form of violence and symbolic domination. This book engages visual culture and the ethnography of space, satire and parody, poetry, and political critique to examine militarization as it is wielded as a cultural and political tool, and as it is experienced as a material form of violence and symbolic domination