More discussion of Frederique Appfel Marglin's "Development or Decolonization in the Andes?"

I believe Frederique can in her talk at NCC go deeper into this topic of decolonization and her critique of hybridity, postcoloniality, and oppositional stances.  Some of the questions that I would like more clarification on are:
When we are in situations where we are resisting, doesn't the very act of resistance put the subject in an oppositional stance? Ex. all freedom movements; domestic violence situations, where you have oppressor and victim (even if later the victim becomes a survivor and the oppressor, we can argue, is a victim of his/her past).
Is patriarchy a shifting power? What language do we use to talk about social systems, power structures, and so on?
Is the idea of "empowering" suspect because it assumes that the power comes from without rather than within?
What are our real and illusionary sense of power in our roles as faculty?
How do we see our work and ourselves within the institution?

Discussion of Frederique Appfel Marglin's "Development or Decolonization in the Andes?"

Date:Nov 4, 2010, at Club Hour
Venue:Haskel Room
Discussion Leader: Neela Saxena

"This article presents the work of a group of indigenous intellectuals in Peru who have formed an NGO called PRATEC (Proyecto Andino de Tecnologias Campesinas). PRATEC has created a postgraduate course, accredited in two Peruvian universities, aimed mostly at technocrats of rural development. That course not only teaches indigenous Andean knowledges and practices but also attempts to deconstruct the claim to universality of dominant modern Western knowledges. The author has met many graduates of PRATEC’s course in Peru and been able to appreciate the transformative power of that course. This experiment is of potential interest in any postcolonial situation. "

Film Screenings

Fall 2010 Film Screenings

by

The Literary Theory Committee

THE SEVENTEENTH PARALLEL by Joris Ivens, one of the most important documentary film directors of the 20th century. What is important about this film is that it was made in Vietnam in 1968 and documents the involvement of women in the Vietnam War from a North Vietnamese perspective. This film has never been available in the U.S., only in Europe and Asia. (Tuesday, October 19, 2:30-4:30, Bradley Hall Ballroom).

THE TENTH MONTH COMES HOME ( 1985) by Dang Nhat Minh, one of Vietnam's most important film directors. It's about one woman's struggle with loss and sacrifice during the Vietnam War. (Tuesday, October 26, 2:30-4:30, Bradley Hall Ballroom).

MR. AND MRS. IYER produced by N. Venkatesan, written by Aparna Sen (2002): A bus carrying a diverse group of passengers, among them a Tamil Brahmin woman and a Muslim man, is attacked by militants. The man and the woman manage to survive by protecting each other despite their deep-seated hatred toward each other’s religion, but in the end their journey together helps them see deeply into each other and themselves. (Tuesday, November 30, 2:30-4:30, Bradley Hall Ballroom).

Ideas for Panel Discussion--Lit Theory Colloquium

1. Examine the connotations of "social justice."
2. Local and national/inter/transnational minority groups and their rights.
3. Guantanamo, torture, and national / international/transnational domestic and foreign policies.

We talked about the linking of panelists' commentaries with the speaker's theme and the subject of the film.

Uma Narayan's "Cross-Cultural Connections, Border Crossings, and 'Death by Culture'"from Dislocating Cultures

Welcome to a discussion of Uma Narayan's chapter from Dislocating Cultures on October 7, Club Hour, in the Haskel room. I hope our discussion, led by Rick Santos, energizes us to continue our exploration of feminism across cultures on the littheory blog.