Latha Varadarajan
Biographic Data
| ID | 353648 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Latha Varadarajan |
| GIVEN NAMES | Latha |
| FAMILY NAME | Varadarajan |
| SIGNATURE | VARADARAJAN L |
| AFFILIATIONS | San Diego State University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-1259-0218 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 16 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 49 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 16 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2003 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
The Limits of “Genocide”
Our article revisits this conflict and the surrounding debate in order to stake out a larger claim about the logic of the legal form in contemporary global order. Following a growing critical scholarship in genocide studies, we argue that the concept of genocide itself entrenches harmful understandings of global order and contributes to structures which encourage the mass violence it nominally aims to identify and prevent. Far from being singular…
Imperialism, the Third World and the Fundamental Continuities in Indian Foreign Policy
Discussions of contemporary Indian foreign policy have tended to highlight a narrative of rupture, focusing particularly on the actions of the BJP-led governments in the 21st century. This article challenges that narrative by arguing for an understanding of postcolonial Indian foreign policy as one characterized by a fundamental continuity shaped by a dynamic imperialist system. Situating the Indian state’s various strategic turns over the decade…
Leon Trotsky and the political conundrum of international relations
In this article we identify the ways in which Leon Trotsky’s ideas constitute a powerful resource to understand the contemporary crisis of international relations and its historical roots in the 20th century. Trotsky’s concept of uneven and combined development has already been highlighted as a signal contribution by an established scholarship in and around the discipline of International Relations. While this is a welcome development, we contend…
The trials of imperialism
At the end of the Second World War, the leaders of the defeated Axis powers were tried for crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in two specially established international military tribunals. Unlike at the vaunted Nuremberg trials, the judgment of the less-illustrious Tokyo tribunal was not unanimous. In his dissenting opinion, Justice Radhabinod Pal of India comprehensively disagreed with all aspects of the trial, finding…
The Transnationalism of the Embattled State
In the past few decades, states across several disparate geographical contexts have adopted policies and initiatives aimed at institutionalizing their relationship with groups constituted as “their” diasporas. These practices, which range from creating new ministries for diaspora affairs and reserving seats in the national legislature to granting dual citizenship and allowing members of the diaspora to participate in domestic elections, seem to h…
Taking Milosevic seriously
Notwithstanding his premature death, the trial of Slobodan Milosevic is widely hailed as a landmark moment in the development of international criminal law. To many, the trial, in conjunction with the broader record of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), represents the beginning of a new era of global justice characterized by the impending triumph of law over politics. This article dissents from the prevailing co…
Back to the Future
Journal Article Back to the Future: Historical Materialism, Diaspora Politics, and the Limits of Novelty Get access Latha Varadarajan Latha Varadarajan San Diego State University Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar International Political Sociology, Volume 6, Issue 1, March 2012, Pages 95–99, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-5687.2011.00152_2.x Published: 14 March 2012
The Domestic Abroad
The Domestic Abroad
In recent years, a significant number of developing nations have made moves to institutionalize their relationships with their transnational communities. This has occurred in a variety of ways: through new ministries for "diaspora affairs, " through the granting of dual citizenship, the extension of voting rights to immigrants, and even through the creation of reserved seats in national legislatures. Such gestures re-conceive diasporas as being p…
Out of Place
Much of the recent scholarly work analyzing the changes in the contemporary international system celebrates diasporas as embodying not just a break from the past, but the emergence of a new world order. This article presents a critical engagement with these claims — in particular, as they appear in two influential texts, Arjun Appadurai's Modernity at Large, and Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri's Empire — to argue that the existence of diasporas s…
Traveling in Paradox
In this article, we argue that those who aspire to `critical' international relations would be well served by importing inspiration from Edward Said's work, particularly in drawing examples from his negotiation of intellectual paradoxes and tensions. While several scholars are sharply critical of Said for adopting apparently contradictory theoretical positions, we suggest, by contrast, that his negotiation of those apparent contradictions is one …
The Life and Times of Economic Nationalism
The question of whether nationalism has a future in a globalizing world has been the focus of numerous studies in the past decade (see, for example, Appadurai 1996; Ohmae 1996). Much of this work tends to interpret this question as a debate over the future of the nation-state, asking whether the nation-state will continue to exist or have relevance in an era of increasingly mobile capital, people, and technology. Situated at the intersection of i…
Courtiers of the New Empire
In an article that appeared in the New York Times in July 2005, Michael Wines bemoaned the fact that Zimbabwe's African neighbors were following a hands-off approach as the country fell into shambl
The Largest Gathering of the Global Indian Family
Mani and Varadarajan examine the first annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas ("Day of Indians Abroad"), a conference organized by India's government that in 2003 attracted more than 2,000 persons of Indian origin from around the world, including the descendants of indentured laborers in the Caribbean as well as Silicon Valley professionals. Culminating a decade of neoliberal economic reforms initiated by the Indian government, this and other Pravasi Bha…
Constructivism, identity and neoliberal (in)security
How do we understand the relationship between ‘national security’ and a global capitalist economy? I argue in this article that liberal constructivist scholars have tended to ignore the constitutive effects of the global economy in the process of distancing themselves from ‘materialist ontologies’ and ‘rationalist epistemologies’. I contend that an important aspect of state identities is that they are dynamic and are historically constituted in a…
On the practical significance of critical international relations theory
The question of relevance of international relations theory must be approached through an awareness of the distinctiveness of various perspectives' relations to existing structures of power. It becomes, in effect, a matter of asking for whom and for what purposes of practical action the theory is or is not relevant. Critical theories of international relations, ranging from modernist to post‐structural forms, share a commitment to challenging the…
The Largest Gathering of the Global Indian Family
Mani and Varadarajan examine the first annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas ("Day of Indians Abroad"), a conference organized by India's government that in 2003 attracted more than 2,000 persons of Indian origin from around the world, including the descendants of indentured laborers in the Caribbean as well as Silicon Valley professionals. Culminating a decade of neoliberal economic reforms initiated by the Indian government, this and other Pravasi Bha…
Traveling in Paradox
In this article, we argue that those who aspire to `critical' international relations would be well served by importing inspiration from Edward Said's work, particularly in drawing examples from his negotiation of intellectual paradoxes and tensions. While several scholars are sharply critical of Said for adopting apparently contradictory theoretical positions, we suggest, by contrast, that his negotiation of those apparent contradictions is one …
Constructivism, identity and neoliberal (in)security
How do we understand the relationship between ‘national security’ and a global capitalist economy? I argue in this article that liberal constructivist scholars have tended to ignore the constitutive effects of the global economy in the process of distancing themselves from ‘materialist ontologies’ and ‘rationalist epistemologies’. I contend that an important aspect of state identities is that they are dynamic and are historically constituted in a…
The Transnationalism of the Embattled State
In the past few decades, states across several disparate geographical contexts have adopted policies and initiatives aimed at institutionalizing their relationship with groups constituted as “their” diasporas. These practices, which range from creating new ministries for diaspora affairs and reserving seats in the national legislature to granting dual citizenship and allowing members of the diaspora to participate in domestic elections, seem to h…
On the practical significance of critical international relations theory
The question of relevance of international relations theory must be approached through an awareness of the distinctiveness of various perspectives' relations to existing structures of power. It becomes, in effect, a matter of asking for whom and for what purposes of practical action the theory is or is not relevant. Critical theories of international relations, ranging from modernist to post‐structural forms, share a commitment to challenging the…
Back to the Future
Journal Article Back to the Future: Historical Materialism, Diaspora Politics, and the Limits of Novelty Get access Latha Varadarajan Latha Varadarajan San Diego State University Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar International Political Sociology, Volume 6, Issue 1, March 2012, Pages 95–99, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-5687.2011.00152_2.x Published: 14 March 2012
Imperialism, the Third World and the Fundamental Continuities in Indian Foreign Policy
Discussions of contemporary Indian foreign policy have tended to highlight a narrative of rupture, focusing particularly on the actions of the BJP-led governments in the 21st century. This article challenges that narrative by arguing for an understanding of postcolonial Indian foreign policy as one characterized by a fundamental continuity shaped by a dynamic imperialist system. Situating the Indian state’s various strategic turns over the decade…
Taking Milosevic seriously
Notwithstanding his premature death, the trial of Slobodan Milosevic is widely hailed as a landmark moment in the development of international criminal law. To many, the trial, in conjunction with the broader record of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), represents the beginning of a new era of global justice characterized by the impending triumph of law over politics. This article dissents from the prevailing co…
Out of Place
Much of the recent scholarly work analyzing the changes in the contemporary international system celebrates diasporas as embodying not just a break from the past, but the emergence of a new world order. This article presents a critical engagement with these claims — in particular, as they appear in two influential texts, Arjun Appadurai's Modernity at Large, and Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri's Empire — to argue that the existence of diasporas s…
The trials of imperialism
At the end of the Second World War, the leaders of the defeated Axis powers were tried for crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in two specially established international military tribunals. Unlike at the vaunted Nuremberg trials, the judgment of the less-illustrious Tokyo tribunal was not unanimous. In his dissenting opinion, Justice Radhabinod Pal of India comprehensively disagreed with all aspects of the trial, finding…
On the practical significance of critical international relations theory
The question of relevance of international relations theory must be approached through an awareness of the distinctiveness of various perspectives' relations to existing structures of power. It becomes, in effect, a matter of asking for whom and for what purposes of practical action the theory is or is not relevant. Critical theories of international relations, ranging from modernist to post‐structural forms, share a commitment to challenging the…
Constructivism, identity and neoliberal (in)security
How do we understand the relationship between ‘national security’ and a global capitalist economy? I argue in this article that liberal constructivist scholars have tended to ignore the constitutive effects of the global economy in the process of distancing themselves from ‘materialist ontologies’ and ‘rationalist epistemologies’. I contend that an important aspect of state identities is that they are dynamic and are historically constituted in a…
The Largest Gathering of the Global Indian Family
Mani and Varadarajan examine the first annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas ("Day of Indians Abroad"), a conference organized by India's government that in 2003 attracted more than 2,000 persons of Indian origin from around the world, including the descendants of indentured laborers in the Caribbean as well as Silicon Valley professionals. Culminating a decade of neoliberal economic reforms initiated by the Indian government, this and other Pravasi Bha…
The Life and Times of Economic Nationalism
The question of whether nationalism has a future in a globalizing world has been the focus of numerous studies in the past decade (see, for example, Appadurai 1996; Ohmae 1996). Much of this work tends to interpret this question as a debate over the future of the nation-state, asking whether the nation-state will continue to exist or have relevance in an era of increasingly mobile capital, people, and technology. Situated at the intersection of i…
Courtiers of the New Empire
In an article that appeared in the New York Times in July 2005, Michael Wines bemoaned the fact that Zimbabwe's African neighbors were following a hands-off approach as the country fell into shambl
Traveling in Paradox
In this article, we argue that those who aspire to `critical' international relations would be well served by importing inspiration from Edward Said's work, particularly in drawing examples from his negotiation of intellectual paradoxes and tensions. While several scholars are sharply critical of Said for adopting apparently contradictory theoretical positions, we suggest, by contrast, that his negotiation of those apparent contradictions is one …
Out of Place
Much of the recent scholarly work analyzing the changes in the contemporary international system celebrates diasporas as embodying not just a break from the past, but the emergence of a new world order. This article presents a critical engagement with these claims — in particular, as they appear in two influential texts, Arjun Appadurai's Modernity at Large, and Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri's Empire — to argue that the existence of diasporas s…
The Domestic Abroad
The Domestic Abroad
In recent years, a significant number of developing nations have made moves to institutionalize their relationships with their transnational communities. This has occurred in a variety of ways: through new ministries for "diaspora affairs, " through the granting of dual citizenship, the extension of voting rights to immigrants, and even through the creation of reserved seats in national legislatures. Such gestures re-conceive diasporas as being p…
Back to the Future
Journal Article Back to the Future: Historical Materialism, Diaspora Politics, and the Limits of Novelty Get access Latha Varadarajan Latha Varadarajan San Diego State University Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar International Political Sociology, Volume 6, Issue 1, March 2012, Pages 95–99, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-5687.2011.00152_2.x Published: 14 March 2012
Taking Milosevic seriously
Notwithstanding his premature death, the trial of Slobodan Milosevic is widely hailed as a landmark moment in the development of international criminal law. To many, the trial, in conjunction with the broader record of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), represents the beginning of a new era of global justice characterized by the impending triumph of law over politics. This article dissents from the prevailing co…
The Transnationalism of the Embattled State
In the past few decades, states across several disparate geographical contexts have adopted policies and initiatives aimed at institutionalizing their relationship with groups constituted as “their” diasporas. These practices, which range from creating new ministries for diaspora affairs and reserving seats in the national legislature to granting dual citizenship and allowing members of the diaspora to participate in domestic elections, seem to h…
The trials of imperialism
At the end of the Second World War, the leaders of the defeated Axis powers were tried for crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in two specially established international military tribunals. Unlike at the vaunted Nuremberg trials, the judgment of the less-illustrious Tokyo tribunal was not unanimous. In his dissenting opinion, Justice Radhabinod Pal of India comprehensively disagreed with all aspects of the trial, finding…
Leon Trotsky and the political conundrum of international relations
In this article we identify the ways in which Leon Trotsky’s ideas constitute a powerful resource to understand the contemporary crisis of international relations and its historical roots in the 20th century. Trotsky’s concept of uneven and combined development has already been highlighted as a signal contribution by an established scholarship in and around the discipline of International Relations. While this is a welcome development, we contend…
The Limits of “Genocide”
Our article revisits this conflict and the surrounding debate in order to stake out a larger claim about the logic of the legal form in contemporary global order. Following a growing critical scholarship in genocide studies, we argue that the concept of genocide itself entrenches harmful understandings of global order and contributes to structures which encourage the mass violence it nominally aims to identify and prevent. Far from being singular…
Imperialism, the Third World and the Fundamental Continuities in Indian Foreign Policy
Discussions of contemporary Indian foreign policy have tended to highlight a narrative of rupture, focusing particularly on the actions of the BJP-led governments in the 21st century. This article challenges that narrative by arguing for an understanding of postcolonial Indian foreign policy as one characterized by a fundamental continuity shaped by a dynamic imperialist system. Situating the Indian state’s various strategic turns over the decade…
Political science (15 works) · Law (13 works) · Sociology (13 works) · Politics (11 works) · Law (8 works) · Epistemology (7 works) · International relations (6 works) · Political economy (6 works) · Diaspora (5 works) · Diaspora, migration, transnational identity (5 works)