Matthew J Walton
Datos Biográficos
| ID | 1452728 |
|---|---|
| NOMBRE | Matthew J Walton |
| NOMBRES | Matthew J |
| APELLIDO | Walton |
| FIRMA | WALTON M J |
| AFILIACIONES | Department of Political Science University of Toronto Toronto Canada |
| VERIFICADO | No |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 17 |
| TOTAL DE CITAS | 258 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 17 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMER AÑO DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2008 |
| AÑO MÁS RECIENTE DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 7 |
Myanmar in 2024 and 2025
The previous year-ender on Myanmar (two years ago) came at a pivotal moment in the country’s ongoing civil war. The unexpectedly well-coordinated Operation 1027 brought unprecedented victories and territorial gains by resistance forces against the military junta, seemingly putting to rest the claim that the Myanmar military could not be defeated on the battlefield. However, resistance gains have stalled since 2024, as the Myanmar military has rec…
Imagining Kawthoolei
Academic and media writing about the Karen ethnic group in Myanmar most often associates the group with war and insurgency. This article focuses instead on the different strategies and rhetorical arguments––and the ideological notions that underpinned them––adopted by the Karen in their informal and formal petitions for recognition and statehood from the early decades of the 20th century, through the Second World War, to the mid‐1950s, including …
Reconciling Contradictions
Myanmar has been the site of serious violence between Buddhist and Muslim communities. This article presents findings from a research project convened to better understand the production of this violence. Based on interviews with 78 residents of six cities, we find a narrative that presents Islam in general and Muslims in Myanmar as an existential threat to “race and religion” and a personal threat to individuals and communities. This narrative i…
Nation-Building
The chapter begins with a brief consideration of the linguistic aspects of discussing identity in Myanmar. It considers the ways in which the content of the national community shifted during the first half of the twentieth century, culminating in the solidification of an ethno-religious core of the nation, as a result of the military&s;s pacification efforts throughout the 1950s. The chapter also considers various nation-building efforts among se…
Reconciling Contradictions
Myanmar has been the site of serious violence between Buddhist and Muslim communities. This article presents findings from a research project convened to better understand the production of this violence. Based on interviews with 78 residents of six cities, we find a narrative that presents Islam in general and Muslims in Myanmar as an existential threat to "race and religion" and a personal threat to individuals and communities. This narrative i…
Buddhism, Nationalism, and Governance
Far from the detached, world-renouncing religion it is often portrayed as, Buddhism has long been a source for theorizing about politics. This chapter examines the ways in which Buddhists have drawn from texts, doctrine, history, symbolism, and culture to argue for a wide range of political systems and ideologies, from monarchy to democracy and Marxism to imperialism. Buddhists have also invoked religious values in defense of the nation, although…
Buddhism, Politics and Political Thought in Myanmar
This is the first book to provide a broad overview of the ways in which Buddhist ideas have influenced political thinking and politics in Myanmar. Matthew Walton draws extensively on Burmese language sources from the last 150 years to describe the 'moral universe' of contemporary Theravada Buddhism that has anchored most political thought in Myanmar. In explaining multiple Burmese understandings of notions such as 'democracy' and 'political parti…
Multi-causal pathways of public opposition to dam projects in Asia
The (New) Buddhist Nationalisms? Symmetries and Specificities in Sri Lanka and Myanmar
A large proportion of mainstream media coverage of Sri Lanka and Myanmar has grouped Bodu Bala Sēnā (BBS), the 969 Movement and the Organization for the Protection of Race and Religion (MaBaTha in its Burmese acronym) as a single phenomenon. Referred to variously as Buddhist terrorism, Buddhist militarism or Buddhist nationalism, these groups appear in popular media as separate iterations of a shared type. However, beneath the many ostensible sym…
The Authorization of Religio-political Discourse
Through the example of contemporary Buddhist nationalist groups in Myanmar, this article draws attention to the cultural authorization of religio-political discourse. The symbolic power of a monk's pronouncements is amplified because of the cultural reverence attached to his vocation as a Buddhist monk, even without doctrinal references or ritual practices. A monk's cultural position within Burmese Buddhism particularly strengthens his authority …
M yanmar ( B urma)
Myanmar is an ethnically diverse country in Southeast Asia, with a majority ethnic group (the Burmans) that has dominated politics since independence. Ethnic conflict has been a regular feature of Burmese politics for the last six decades, exacerbated by military rule. From the end of the colonial period Burmese nationalism has effectively been Burman nationalism and in some version has included a strain of suspicion toward other ethnic groups or…
The Disciplining Discourse of Unity in Burmese Politics
A concern with unity has been a consistent theme in modern Burmese politics. This article examines a particularly problematic conception of unity that I argue draws strength from its resonance with Buddhist moral notions of the self and overcoming self-centeredness. As a moral concept, this narrative of unity is idealized in devotion to a common purpose and loyalty to a group or community; it requires subsuming one’s own interests for the benefit…
Women and Myanmar's “Religious Protection Laws
One of the most controversial political debates in Myanmar's transition has been the development and passage of a set of four “Laws for the Protection of Race & Religion.” These laws, which were or
Monks in Politics, Monks in the World
Monks in Politics, Monks in the World: Buddhist Activism in Contemporary Myanmar Despite common claims that monks in Myanmar are expected to remain aloof from politics, there is a long history of monastic political engagement in the country. This activism has continued during the present transition period, with monks being involved in issues from land rights protests to anti-Muslim campaigns. Of particular interest, beyond the mere range of issue…
Energy, Governance and Security in Thailand and Myanmar (Burma)
Adam Simpson’s new book comprehensively presents some of the most prominent recent environmental campaigns in Myanmar and Thailand while also contributing theoretically to the study of environmenta
"The "Wages of Burman-ness
Ethnicity is one of the primary lenses through which scholars view conflict in Burma/Myanmar. In this paper I examine the dominance of the majority ethnic group in Myanmar, the Burmans, and the ways in which Burman-ness functions as a privileged identity. I draw from the theoretical framework of Whiteness and White privilege in critical race theory to argue that, although there are important analytical differences between race and ethnicity, we c…
Ethnicity, Conflict, and History in Burma
The effects of the 1947 Panglong Agreement on Burma's ethnic minority groups can still be seen today in calls for a return to the spirit of Panglong, but there are conflicting versions of this event and its legacy. In order to grasp the prospects for ethnic unity in Burma, it is necessary to deconstruct the various “myths” of Panglong
"The "Wages of Burman-ness
Ethnicity is one of the primary lenses through which scholars view conflict in Burma/Myanmar. In this paper I examine the dominance of the majority ethnic group in Myanmar, the Burmans, and the ways in which Burman-ness functions as a privileged identity. I draw from the theoretical framework of Whiteness and White privilege in critical race theory to argue that, although there are important analytical differences between race and ethnicity, we c…
Ethnicity, Conflict, and History in Burma
The effects of the 1947 Panglong Agreement on Burma's ethnic minority groups can still be seen today in calls for a return to the spirit of Panglong, but there are conflicting versions of this event and its legacy. In order to grasp the prospects for ethnic unity in Burma, it is necessary to deconstruct the various “myths” of Panglong
Reconciling Contradictions
Myanmar has been the site of serious violence between Buddhist and Muslim communities. This article presents findings from a research project convened to better understand the production of this violence. Based on interviews with 78 residents of six cities, we find a narrative that presents Islam in general and Muslims in Myanmar as an existential threat to "race and religion" and a personal threat to individuals and communities. This narrative i…
The (New) Buddhist Nationalisms? Symmetries and Specificities in Sri Lanka and Myanmar
A large proportion of mainstream media coverage of Sri Lanka and Myanmar has grouped Bodu Bala Sēnā (BBS), the 969 Movement and the Organization for the Protection of Race and Religion (MaBaTha in its Burmese acronym) as a single phenomenon. Referred to variously as Buddhist terrorism, Buddhist militarism or Buddhist nationalism, these groups appear in popular media as separate iterations of a shared type. However, beneath the many ostensible sym…
The Disciplining Discourse of Unity in Burmese Politics
A concern with unity has been a consistent theme in modern Burmese politics. This article examines a particularly problematic conception of unity that I argue draws strength from its resonance with Buddhist moral notions of the self and overcoming self-centeredness. As a moral concept, this narrative of unity is idealized in devotion to a common purpose and loyalty to a group or community; it requires subsuming one’s own interests for the benefit…
Women and Myanmar's “Religious Protection Laws
One of the most controversial political debates in Myanmar's transition has been the development and passage of a set of four “Laws for the Protection of Race & Religion.” These laws, which were or
Multi-causal pathways of public opposition to dam projects in Asia
Imagining Kawthoolei
Academic and media writing about the Karen ethnic group in Myanmar most often associates the group with war and insurgency. This article focuses instead on the different strategies and rhetorical arguments––and the ideological notions that underpinned them––adopted by the Karen in their informal and formal petitions for recognition and statehood from the early decades of the 20th century, through the Second World War, to the mid‐1950s, including …
Monks in Politics, Monks in the World
Monks in Politics, Monks in the World: Buddhist Activism in Contemporary Myanmar Despite common claims that monks in Myanmar are expected to remain aloof from politics, there is a long history of monastic political engagement in the country. This activism has continued during the present transition period, with monks being involved in issues from land rights protests to anti-Muslim campaigns. Of particular interest, beyond the mere range of issue…
The Authorization of Religio-political Discourse
Through the example of contemporary Buddhist nationalist groups in Myanmar, this article draws attention to the cultural authorization of religio-political discourse. The symbolic power of a monk's pronouncements is amplified because of the cultural reverence attached to his vocation as a Buddhist monk, even without doctrinal references or ritual practices. A monk's cultural position within Burmese Buddhism particularly strengthens his authority …
Energy, Governance and Security in Thailand and Myanmar (Burma)
Adam Simpson’s new book comprehensively presents some of the most prominent recent environmental campaigns in Myanmar and Thailand while also contributing theoretically to the study of environmenta
Ethnicity, Conflict, and History in Burma
The effects of the 1947 Panglong Agreement on Burma's ethnic minority groups can still be seen today in calls for a return to the spirit of Panglong, but there are conflicting versions of this event and its legacy. In order to grasp the prospects for ethnic unity in Burma, it is necessary to deconstruct the various “myths” of Panglong
"The "Wages of Burman-ness
Ethnicity is one of the primary lenses through which scholars view conflict in Burma/Myanmar. In this paper I examine the dominance of the majority ethnic group in Myanmar, the Burmans, and the ways in which Burman-ness functions as a privileged identity. I draw from the theoretical framework of Whiteness and White privilege in critical race theory to argue that, although there are important analytical differences between race and ethnicity, we c…
Energy, Governance and Security in Thailand and Myanmar (Burma)
Adam Simpson’s new book comprehensively presents some of the most prominent recent environmental campaigns in Myanmar and Thailand while also contributing theoretically to the study of environmenta
M yanmar ( B urma)
Myanmar is an ethnically diverse country in Southeast Asia, with a majority ethnic group (the Burmans) that has dominated politics since independence. Ethnic conflict has been a regular feature of Burmese politics for the last six decades, exacerbated by military rule. From the end of the colonial period Burmese nationalism has effectively been Burman nationalism and in some version has included a strain of suspicion toward other ethnic groups or…
The Disciplining Discourse of Unity in Burmese Politics
A concern with unity has been a consistent theme in modern Burmese politics. This article examines a particularly problematic conception of unity that I argue draws strength from its resonance with Buddhist moral notions of the self and overcoming self-centeredness. As a moral concept, this narrative of unity is idealized in devotion to a common purpose and loyalty to a group or community; it requires subsuming one’s own interests for the benefit…
Women and Myanmar's “Religious Protection Laws
One of the most controversial political debates in Myanmar's transition has been the development and passage of a set of four “Laws for the Protection of Race & Religion.” These laws, which were or
Monks in Politics, Monks in the World
Monks in Politics, Monks in the World: Buddhist Activism in Contemporary Myanmar Despite common claims that monks in Myanmar are expected to remain aloof from politics, there is a long history of monastic political engagement in the country. This activism has continued during the present transition period, with monks being involved in issues from land rights protests to anti-Muslim campaigns. Of particular interest, beyond the mere range of issue…
Buddhism, Nationalism, and Governance
Far from the detached, world-renouncing religion it is often portrayed as, Buddhism has long been a source for theorizing about politics. This chapter examines the ways in which Buddhists have drawn from texts, doctrine, history, symbolism, and culture to argue for a wide range of political systems and ideologies, from monarchy to democracy and Marxism to imperialism. Buddhists have also invoked religious values in defense of the nation, although…
Buddhism, Politics and Political Thought in Myanmar
This is the first book to provide a broad overview of the ways in which Buddhist ideas have influenced political thinking and politics in Myanmar. Matthew Walton draws extensively on Burmese language sources from the last 150 years to describe the 'moral universe' of contemporary Theravada Buddhism that has anchored most political thought in Myanmar. In explaining multiple Burmese understandings of notions such as 'democracy' and 'political parti…
Multi-causal pathways of public opposition to dam projects in Asia
The (New) Buddhist Nationalisms? Symmetries and Specificities in Sri Lanka and Myanmar
A large proportion of mainstream media coverage of Sri Lanka and Myanmar has grouped Bodu Bala Sēnā (BBS), the 969 Movement and the Organization for the Protection of Race and Religion (MaBaTha in its Burmese acronym) as a single phenomenon. Referred to variously as Buddhist terrorism, Buddhist militarism or Buddhist nationalism, these groups appear in popular media as separate iterations of a shared type. However, beneath the many ostensible sym…
The Authorization of Religio-political Discourse
Through the example of contemporary Buddhist nationalist groups in Myanmar, this article draws attention to the cultural authorization of religio-political discourse. The symbolic power of a monk's pronouncements is amplified because of the cultural reverence attached to his vocation as a Buddhist monk, even without doctrinal references or ritual practices. A monk's cultural position within Burmese Buddhism particularly strengthens his authority …
Reconciling Contradictions
Myanmar has been the site of serious violence between Buddhist and Muslim communities. This article presents findings from a research project convened to better understand the production of this violence. Based on interviews with 78 residents of six cities, we find a narrative that presents Islam in general and Muslims in Myanmar as an existential threat to "race and religion" and a personal threat to individuals and communities. This narrative i…
Reconciling Contradictions
Myanmar has been the site of serious violence between Buddhist and Muslim communities. This article presents findings from a research project convened to better understand the production of this violence. Based on interviews with 78 residents of six cities, we find a narrative that presents Islam in general and Muslims in Myanmar as an existential threat to “race and religion” and a personal threat to individuals and communities. This narrative i…
Nation-Building
The chapter begins with a brief consideration of the linguistic aspects of discussing identity in Myanmar. It considers the ways in which the content of the national community shifted during the first half of the twentieth century, culminating in the solidification of an ethno-religious core of the nation, as a result of the military&s;s pacification efforts throughout the 1950s. The chapter also considers various nation-building efforts among se…
Imagining Kawthoolei
Academic and media writing about the Karen ethnic group in Myanmar most often associates the group with war and insurgency. This article focuses instead on the different strategies and rhetorical arguments––and the ideological notions that underpinned them––adopted by the Karen in their informal and formal petitions for recognition and statehood from the early decades of the 20th century, through the Second World War, to the mid‐1950s, including …
Myanmar in 2024 and 2025
The previous year-ender on Myanmar (two years ago) came at a pivotal moment in the country’s ongoing civil war. The unexpectedly well-coordinated Operation 1027 brought unprecedented victories and territorial gains by resistance forces against the military junta, seemingly putting to rest the claim that the Myanmar military could not be defeated on the battlefield. However, resistance gains have stalled since 2024, as the Myanmar military has rec…
Political science (15 obras) · Asian Geopolitics and Ethnography (13 obras) · Sociology (13 obras) · Politics (12 obras) · Law (11 obras) · Law (10 obras) · Buddhism (8 obras) · Asian Studies and History (7 obras) · Cambodian History and Society (7 obras) · Gender Studies (7 obras)