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A History of Prejudice: Race, Caste, and Difference in India and the United States
This is a book about prejudice and democracy, and the prejudice of democracy.
In comparing the historical struggles of two geographically disparate populations—Indian Dalits (once known as Untouchables) and African Americans—Gyanendra Pandey, the leading subaltern historian, examines the multiple dimensions of prejudice in two of the world's leading democracies. The juxtaposition of two very different locations and histories and, within each of these, of varying public and private narratives of struggle, allows for an uncommon analysis of the limits of citizenship in modern societies and states.
Pandey, with his characteristic delicacy, probes the histories of his protagonists to uncover a shadowy world where intolerance and discrimination are part of both public and private lives. This unusual and sobering book is revelatory in its exploration of the contradictory history of promise and denial that is common to the official narratives of nations such as India and the United States and the ideologies of many opposition movements.
In comparing the historical struggles of two geographically disparate populations—Indian Dalits (once known as Untouchables) and African Americans—Gyanendra Pandey, the leading subaltern historian, examines the multiple dimensions of prejudice in two of the world's leading democracies. The juxtaposition of two very different locations and histories and, within each of these, of varying public and private narratives of struggle, allows for an uncommon analysis of the limits of citizenship in modern societies and states.
Pandey, with his characteristic delicacy, probes the histories of his protagonists to uncover a shadowy world where intolerance and discrimination are part of both public and private lives. This unusual and sobering book is revelatory in its exploration of the contradictory history of promise and denial that is common to the official narratives of nations such as India and the United States and the ideologies of many opposition movements.
255 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 4, 2017
Whoa
I dunno what to say, many of the longer anecdotes are heartbreaking and disturbing. We have an incredible amount of work to do.
I dunno what to say, many of the longer anecdotes are heartbreaking and disturbing. We have an incredible amount of work to do.
September 3, 2017
I read this because of a recommendation from a trusted friend who is a historian, and who has never failed to recommend interesting books. This book is not a history in the narrative, high school, history sense. It is a study of two, physically disparate, communities and shows how prejudice operates both overtly and covertly against them. The communities are the Dalit of India (formerly referred to as untouchables) and African Americans. Well written and well reasoned it is a good book to read, if a bit hard to get through at times. It does not shy away from horrific topics, such as lynching and other violence against minority communities, so best avoided right before bed.
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March 22, 2019Yay Brendan!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews