Richa Nagar

Last updated

Richa Nagar (born 1968, in Lucknow, India) is a scholar, creative writer, educator, and theatre-worker who is Professor of the College in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota. Nagar's creative and scholarly work makes multi-lingual and multi-genre contributions to transnational feminism, social geography, critical development studies, and critical ethnography. Her research has encompassed a range of topics including: politics of space, identity and community among communities of South Asian origin in Tanzania; questions of empowerment in relation to grass-roots struggles in the global South, principally with the Sangtin Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan (SKMS) in Sitapur District, India; the politics of language and social fracturing in the context of development and neo-liberal globalization; and creative praxis that uses collaboration, co-authorship, and translation to blur the borders between academic, activist, and artistic labor. She has held residential fellowships at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford in 2005–2006, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Advanced Study (JNIAS) at New Delhi in 2011–2012, and at the Centre for Humanities Research at the University of the Western Cape in 2013. She was named Honorary Professor at the Unit for Humanities at the Rhodes University (UHURU) at Rhodes University in South Africa in 2017, and her work has been translated into several languages including Turkish, Marathi, Italian, German and Mandarin. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Work on the Politics of Place and Identity among 'Asians' in Tanzania

Richa Nagar's historical, geographical, and feminist exploration of the politics of place, identity, and community among 'Asians' in Tanzania is based on a "large number of life histories as well as participant observation" among Hindus, Khoja Shia Ithna Asheris, Goans and Sikhs, chiefly in the city of Dar es Salaam. [7] [8] This body of work is "significant for its geographical focus" [9] and "provides a useful and very necessary corrective to the misperceptions" [10] that "construct[ed] all Asians as a monolithic category." [11] It highlights how "processes at multiple scales intersect and shape the negotiation of geographic and social space among different diasporic South Asian groups in their neighborhoods" [12] while also "explor[ing] many relevant dimensions of the researcher-narrator relationship...[Nagar attends] to the processes involved in navigating within and across Dar's many Asian and African communities, with their particular spaces, boundaries, markers of identity, and hierarchies of power." [7]

Coauthoring Across Research and Activism

In 2004, Nagar published with eight rural women activists or Sangtins, the Hindi book, Sangtin Yatra [13] which refers to a "journey of solidarity, reciprocity, and enduring friendship." [14] The eight activists—Anupamlata, Ramsheela, Reshma Ansari, Richa Singh, Shashibala, Shashi Vaish, Surbala, and Vibha Bajpayee—collaborated with Richa Nagar to explore questions of power, location, and difference in their own lives through personal storytelling, while also engaging with issues of inequity and discrimination in NGOs that seek to empower poor rural women in the global south. [15] This discussion of NGOs triggered a backlash against the authors, which is examined in the English version of the book, Playing with Fire: Feminist Thought and Activism Through Seven Lives in India (2006). Playing with Fire "challenges academic protocol and activist verities alike" and "grapples with creative solutions, such as upending hierarchies of skill and knowledge in organizations, as well as means to fight organizational dependency on donors...Every chapter makes for fascinating reading as the women emerge in their complexity, in their specificity, and in their international context that still includes outside donors driven by their own interests." [16] The book "asks us to think in radically new ways about responsibility, access, research, agency, authorship, subjects, and audience. It contributes to the vibrant discourse on the politics of research particularly between the 'north' and 'south' [and] pushes at the boundaries of this discourse as it demonstrates different ways of engaging in collaborative work that challenges the separation between 'the academy' and 'political organizing'." [15] [17]

The debates triggered by Sangtin Yatra and Playing with Fire helped to build Sangtin Kisaan Mazdoor Sangathan or the Sangtin Farmers and Laborers Organization (SKMS) in the Mishrikh and Pisawan blocks of Sitapur District of Uttar Pradesh.. Nagar's book with Richa Singh in Hindi, Ek Aur Neemsaar: Sangtin Atmamanthan Aur Andolan (2012) tells the story of the birth and growth of SKMS. Playing with Fire and Sangtin Yatra have been translated into Turkish as Ateşle Oynamak: Hindistan'da Yedi Yaşam Üzerinden Feminist Düşünce ve Eylem (Ayizi Kitap, 2011) and into Marathi as Ageeshee Khelataana: Saat Stree Karyakartancha Sahpravaas (Manovikas Prakashan, 2015).

In Muddying the Waters: Coauthoring Feminisms Across Scholarship and Activism (2014), which received Gloria Anzaldua Book Prize's Honorable Mention, [18] Richa Nagar examines coauthorship as a mode of sharing authority and addresses translation as ethical responsibility. The book "emerges out of the difficulties and (im)possibilities encountered in the creation of politically meaningful scholarship that inevitably crosses multiple borders. Those between academia and social movements, academic and nonacademic writing, or geographical and linguistic borders...Nagar's work is a call for politically engaged and ethical research that takes matters of epistemic violence seriously. For the author, such research cannot shy away from the tensions, risks and challenges involved in the building of solidarities and alliances between researchers and the researched 'on the ground.' These 'situated solidarities' are achievable when activists and scholars speak with each other to become 'radically vulnerable' through trust, affect and critical reflexivity without losing sight of their institutional, material and geopolitical positions.". [19] Here, Nagar also introduces the concept of 'radical vulnerability' as a critical mode of collectivity in politically-engaged alliance-work—an idea that she and her critics have continued to explore further. [20] [21] [22]

Books in English

Books in Hindi

Articles on Collaboration, Friendships, and Radical Vulnerability in Research and Alliance Work

Articles on Globalization, Development, and Questions of Empowerment

Articles on Politics of Identity, Place, and Community among 'Asians' in Tanzania

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Rodney</span> Guyanese politician, activist and historian (1942–1980)

Walter Anthony Rodney was a Guyanese historian, political activist and academic. His notable works include How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, first published in 1972. Rodney was assassinated in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1980.

Postcolonial feminism is a form of feminism that developed as a response to feminism focusing solely on the experiences of women in Western cultures and former colonies. Postcolonial feminism seeks to account for the way that racism and the long-lasting political, economic, and cultural effects of colonialism affect non-white, non-Western women in the postcolonial world. Postcolonial feminism originated in the 1980s as a critique of feminist theorists in developed countries pointing out the universalizing tendencies of mainstream feminist ideas and argues that women living in non-Western countries are misrepresented.

Postfeminism is a term popularized by the mass media to describe an alleged decrease in support for feminism from the 1990s onwards. It can be considered a critical way of understanding the changed relations between feminism, popular culture and femininity. The term is sometimes confused with subsequent feminisms such as fourth-wave feminism, postmodern feminism, and xenofeminism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Dar es Salaam</span> University in Tanzania

The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) is a public university located in Ubungo District, Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania. It was established in 1961 as an affiliate college of the University of London. The university became an affiliate of the University of East Africa (UEA) in 1963, shortly after Tanzania gained its independence from the United Kingdom. In 1970, UEA split into three independent universities: Makerere University in Uganda, the University of Nairobi in Kenya, and the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

Strategic essentialism, a major concept in postcolonial theory, was introduced in the 1980s by the Indian literary critic and theorist Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak. It refers to a political tactic in which minority groups, or ethnic groups mobilize on the basis of shared identity attributes to represent themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African nationalism</span> Group of political ideologies

African nationalism is an umbrella term which refers to a group of political ideologies in sub-Saharan Africa, which are based on the idea of national self-determination and the creation of nation states. The ideology emerged under European colonial rule during the 19th and 20th centuries and was loosely inspired by nationalist ideas from Europe. Originally, African nationalism was based on demands for self-determination and played an important role in forcing the process of decolonisation of Africa. However, the term refers to a broad range of different ideological and political movements and should not be confused with Pan-Africanism which may seek the federation of many or all nation states in Africa.

Transnational feminism refers to both a contemporary feminist paradigm and the corresponding activist movement. Both the theories and activist practices are concerned with how globalization and capitalism affect people across nations, races, genders, classes, and sexualities. This movement asks to critique the ideologies of traditional white, classist, western models of feminist practices from an intersectional approach and how these connect with labor, theoretical applications, and analytical practice on a geopolitical scale.

Imani Sanga is Professor of Music in the Department of Creative Arts, formerly called Department of Fine and Performing Arts, in the College of Humanities at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He teaches courses in Ethnomusicology, Philosophy of Music, Composition and Choral Music. And he conducts the university choir.

The Cultural Studies Association (CSA) was founded in 2003 and is a non-profit membership association for scientific purposes in the field and discipline of cultural studies. Located in Chicago, IL, USA, the CSA is headed by an executive committee of American academics who guide the association's efforts to promote the exchange of ideas between scholars, hold annual conferences, and publish an educational journal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feminist movements and ideologies</span>

A variety of movements of feminist ideology have developed over the years. They vary in goals, strategies, and affiliations. They often overlap, and some feminists identify themselves with several branches of feminist thought.

Feminist political theory is an area of philosophy that focuses on understanding and critiquing the way political philosophy is usually construed and on articulating how political theory might be reconstructed in a way that advances feminist concerns. Feminist political theory combines aspects of both feminist theory and political theory in order to take a feminist approach to traditional questions within political philosophy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patricia McFadden</span> African feminist and writer

Patricia McFadden is a radical African feminist, sociologist, writer, educator, and publisher from eSwatini. She is also an activist and scholar who worked in the anti-apartheid movement for more than 20 years. McFadden has worked in the African and global women’s movements as well. As a writer, she has been the target of political persecution. She has worked as editor of the Southern African Feminist Review and African Feminist Perspectives. She currently teaches, and advocates internationally for women's issues. McFadden has served as a professor at Cornell University, Spelman College, Syracuse University and Smith College in the United States. She also works as a "feminist consultant", supporting women in creating institutionally sustainable feminist spaces within Southern Africa.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Indigenous feminism is an intersectional theory and practice of feminism that focuses on decolonization, Indigenous sovereignty, and human rights for Indigenous women and their families. The focus is to empower Indigenous women in the context of Indigenous cultural values and priorities, rather than mainstream, white, patriarchal ones. In this cultural perspective, it can be compared to womanism in the African-American communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandra Talpade Mohanty</span> Indian-American Feminism and womens studies professor

Chandra Talpade Mohanty is a Distinguished Professor of Women's and Gender Studies, Sociology, and the Cultural Foundations of Education and Dean's Professor of the Humanities at Syracuse University. Mohanty, a postcolonial and transnational feminist theorist, has argued for the inclusion of a transnational approach in exploring women’s experiences across the world. She is author of Feminism Without Borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practicing Solidarity, and co-editor of Third World Women and the Politics of Feminism, Feminist Genealogies, Colonial Legacies, Democratic Futures, Feminism and War: Confronting U.S. Imperialism,, The Sage Handbook on Identities, and Feminist Freedom Warriors: Genealogies, Justice, Politics, and Hope.

Fourth-wave feminism is a feminist movement that began around 2012 and is characterized by a focus on the empowerment of women, the use of internet tools, and intersectionality. The fourth wave seeks greater gender equality by focusing on gendered norms and the marginalization of women in society.

Technofeminism explores the role gender plays in technology. It is often examined in conjunction with intersectionality, a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw which analyzes the relationships among various identities, such as race, socioeconomic status, sexuality, gender, and more. However, many scholars, such as Lori Beth De Hertogh, Liz Lane, and Jessica Oulette, as well as Angela Haas, have spoken out about the lack of technofeminist scholarship, especially in the context of overarching technological research.

Marjorie Mbiliniyi is a scholar, feminist and gender activist. She was born in New York and studied educational sciences before settling in Dar-es-Salaam and became a citizen of Tanzania after married a Tanzanian. She worked at the Department of Education at Dar-es-Salaam university. Mbiliniyi has dedicate herself to collaborate with and organize women to fight against patriarchy and neo-liberalism in Tanzania and beyond. She worked as a lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam where she retired in 2003. After her retirement from academia, she served as the Principal Policy Analyst at the Tanzania Gender Networking Program; later known as TGNP Mtandao from 2004–2014.

Sarab Abu-Rabia-Queder is an Israeli-Arab sociologist, anthropologist, and feminist activist with a specialty in gender studies. She is the first Bedouin woman in Israel to receive a doctorate, and to be promoted to Associate Professor. In June 2021, she was appointed Vice-President for Diversity and Inclusion at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mkunde Chachage</span> Tanzanian researcher and lecturer (born 1984)

Mkunde Chachage is a lecturer and researcher in immunology at University of Dar es Salaam Mbeya College of Health and Allied Sciences. She is also a researcher at the National Institute for Medical Research at Mbeya medical research centre. She conducts research in clinical immunology as well as infectious diseases of human including Tuberculosis (TB), HIV and helminths infections.

References

  1. ↑ "Prof Richa Nagar: College of Liberal Arts". University of Minnesota . Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  2. ↑ Poets, Desirée (2016). "Book Review: Nagar, Richa (2014). Muddying the Waters: Coauthoring Feminisms across Scholarship and Activism. Urbana, Springfield, Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press". Journal of Narrative Politics.
  3. ↑ "Desiring Alliance and Complex Translations in Activist Research: An Interview with Richa Nagar". Class War University. 25 July 2013.
  4. ↑ Dauphinee, Elizabeth (2016). "Editor's Introduction Interview Forum: Feminist and Postcolonial Feminist Theorists". Journal of Narrative Politics.
  5. ↑ "Past Fellows, Research Affiliates, and Visiting Scholars - Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences". casbs.stanford.edu.
  6. ↑ "Welcome to Jawaharlal Nehru University". www.jnu.ac.in.
  7. 1 2 Mary Jo Maynes, Jennifer L. Pierce, Barbara Laslett, 2008, Telling Stories: The Use of Personal Narratives in the Social Sciences and History, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, p. 102
  8. ↑ Dodomusings (1 February 2016). "Asians in Tanzania".
  9. ↑ Patterns of Urban Life and Urban Segregation in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania by Sarah L. Smiley, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Kansas, 2007, p. 213.
  10. ↑ Laura Fair, 2001, Pastimes and Politics: Culture, Community, and Identity in Postabolition Urban Zanzibar, 1890-1945, Athens: Ohio University Press. p. 306.
  11. ↑ Ronald Aminzade, 2013, Race, Nation, and Citizenship in Postcolonial Africa, New York: Cambridge University Press, p. 321.
  12. ↑ Maggi W. H. Leung, 2003, Notions of Home among Diaspora Chinese in Germany, in eds, Laurence J. C. Ma and Carolyn L. Cartier, The Chinese Diaspora: Space, Place, Mobility, and Identity, Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, p. 241.
  13. 1 2 Anupamlata; Ramsheela; Reshma, Ansari; Vibha, Bajpayee; Shashibala; Shashi, Vaish; Surbala; Richa, Singh; Richa, Nagar (22 June 2017). "Sangtin Yatra: Saat Zindgiyon Mein Lipta Nari Vimarsh". hdl:11299/56686.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  14. ↑ Salma Ismail, 2009, Review, Feminist Africa, Vol 13, p. 133-136 http://agi.ac.za/sites/agi.ac.za/files/fa13_review_ismail.pdf
  15. 1 2 Pratt, Geraldine (March 2008). "Book reviews: Authors meet critics: a set of reviews and response". Social & Cultural Geography. 9 (2): 213–236. doi:10.1080/14649360701859882. S2CID   147400697.
  16. ↑ Armstrong, Elisabeth (2008). "Playing with Fire: Feminist Thought and Activism through Seven Lives in India, and: The Power of Women's Organizing: Gender, Caste and Class in India, and: Survival and Emancipation: Notes from Indian Women's Struggles (review)". NWSA Journal. 20 (1): 229–233. Project MUSE   237382.
  17. ↑ See also https://www.academia.edu/3089357/Richa_Nagar_is_Playing_with_Fire_.
  18. ↑ "NWSA". www.nwsa.org.
  19. ↑ Desirée Poets, 2016, Book Review, Journal of Narrative Politics, 2:2:176.
  20. ↑ Nagar, Richa; Aslan, Özlem; Hasan, Nadia Z.; Rahemtullah, Omme-Salma; Upadhyay, Nishant; Uzun, Begüm (2016). "Feminisms, Collaborations, Friendships: A Conversation". Feminist Studies. 42 (2): 502–519. doi:10.1353/fem.2016.0016. JSTOR   10.15767/feministstudies.42.2.0502. Gale   A463269686 Project MUSE   829326 ProQuest   1820294923.
  21. ↑ Dauphinee, Elizabeth (2016). "Editor's Introduction Interview Forum: Feminist and Postcolonial Feminist Theorists". Journal of Narrative Politics.
  22. ↑ Chowdhury, Elora Halim; Pulido, Laura; Heynen, Nik; Rini, Lainie; Wainwright, Joel; Inayatullah, Naeem; Nagar, Richa (December 2016). "Muddying the waters: coauthoring feminisms across scholarship and activism". Gender, Place & Culture. 23 (12): 1800–1812. doi:10.1080/0966369X.2016.1221880. S2CID   151688356.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.