A talk by Sadhana Naithani, Professor of German literature and cultural anthropology in Jawaharlal Nehru University and Visiting Professor in the Department of Anthropology/Folklore (UC Berkeley), on narratives about wild life created under contexts of colonialism, conservation movements and scientific discoveries.
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DATE: Tue, Apr 25
TIME: 5-6:30 pm
VENUE: 10 Stephens Hall
LIVESTREAM: On FB page at: ISASatUCBerkeley
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ABSTRACT
Can we understand the historical experience of wild and free animals and access their narrative? Within the British writings on Indian wild animals there are narratives submerged, which the writers had no intention to voice. Focusing on these is difficult, but possible. Creating a multidisciplinary methodology from the current scientific understanding of animal sentience, folk narrative’s engagement with inter-species communication and cultural-anthropological studies in the relationship of human with non-human animals, I listen to the submerged voices of non-human animals. Through a realignment of these voices viz à viz human voices a radically new story becomes accessible. This new story shows the face of colonialism through non-human eyes and debunks any human-centric perspective to understand the relationship between human and non-human animals.
SPEAKER BIO
Sadhana Naithani is professor of German literature and cultural anthropology at the Centre of German Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She is also the Coordinator of Folklore Program at the same institution. She is president of the International Society for Folk Narrative Research and Fellow of the American Folklore Society. Currently she is a Fulbright Visiting Professor (AY 2022-23) teaching at the Department of Anthropology/Folklore, U C Berkeley, and researching narratives about wild life created under contexts of colonialism, conservation movements and scientific discoveries.
Sadhana Naithani’s inter-disciplinary work has traversed international folklore and folkloristics. She has studied the history of folkloristics since the nineteenth century in Europe, India and the United States in the contexts of nationalism, colonialism, socialism and postcolonial paradigms. Challenging eurocentrism in folkloristics in the study of folklore collections compiled by British colonial rulers, she brought forth the role of native scholars in the making of those works. Currently, she plans to shift the postcolonial discourse from human-centered to one based on the perspectives of wild and free non-human animals.
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Event made possible with the support of the Sarah Kailath Chair of India Studies
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PARKING INFORMATION
Please note that parking is not always easily available in Berkeley. Take public transportation if possible or arrive early to secure your spot.
The event is FREE and OPEN to the public.
