Comments on: Waiting for emancipation: between slavery and freedom in West Africa http://thememorybank.co.uk/2010/03/20/waiting-for-emancipation-slavery-and-freedom-in-west-africa/ A New Commonwealth — Ver 5.0 Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:56:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: keith http://thememorybank.co.uk/2010/03/20/waiting-for-emancipation-slavery-and-freedom-in-west-africa/comment-page-1/#comment-13336 keith Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:55:04 +0000 http://thememorybank.co.uk/?p=1298#comment-13336 I am a fan of Arundhati Roy, even though she sometimes lends herself to caricature as a member of the left glitterati. I would very much like to get into the comparison you suggest. Rereading a paper I wrote quite a while ago, I was struck by its basic insight that revolutionary change most often leads to varieties of unfreedom, not the freedom and democracy advertised. That leaves us with a question about what might constitute genuine progress towards these ends and how. I am a fan of Arundhati Roy, even though she sometimes lends herself to caricature as a member of the left glitterati. I would very much like to get into the comparison you suggest. Rereading a paper I wrote quite a while ago, I was struck by its basic insight that revolutionary change most often leads to varieties of unfreedom, not the freedom and democracy advertised. That leaves us with a question about what might constitute genuine progress towards these ends and how.

]]> By: David Marsden http://thememorybank.co.uk/2010/03/20/waiting-for-emancipation-slavery-and-freedom-in-west-africa/comment-page-1/#comment-13116 David Marsden Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:33:33 +0000 http://thememorybank.co.uk/?p=1298#comment-13116 Keith I read your piece on West African slavery with great interest, having just read this essay (link below)from Arundhati Roy. It calls into question dominant perceptions of the 'Naxalites' in east central India. As well as being a thoughtful piece I thought it was a good 'story' that uses ethnographic methods to challenge established explanations/interpretations - I think this is one of the central issues for concerned anthropologists. I have followed your challenging contributions - both here at The Memory Bank, and at the OAC - for some months now. http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2010/03/gandhians-with-a-gun-arundhati-roy-plunges-into-the-sea-of-gondi-people.html Keith

I read your piece on West African slavery with great interest, having just read this essay (link below)from Arundhati Roy. It calls into question dominant perceptions of the ‘Naxalites’ in east central India. As well as being a thoughtful piece I thought it was a good ‘story’ that uses ethnographic methods to challenge established explanations/interpretations – I think this is one of the central issues for concerned anthropologists. I have followed your challenging contributions – both here at The Memory Bank, and at the OAC – for some months now.

http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2010/03/gandhians-with-a-gun-arundhati-roy-plunges-into-the-sea-of-gondi-people.html

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