Burning the Body
The Bodily Politics of Tibetan Self-Immolation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15030282 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Archana Kaku (0009-0006-5220-1113, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 573-606 |
| Publication date | 2020-07-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Theory & Event (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1092-311X • E-ISSN: 2572-6633 |
| Publisher | Project MUSE (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1353/tae.2020.0036 |
| OpenAlex | W4381788216 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
This article analyzes self-immolation as a practice that activates the potential for resistance which is always present within the body. Examining the 2009–2012 self-immolations in Tibet, I argue that the political work of self-immolation takes place through spectacular pain, material degradation, and the interaction between the body of the self-immolator, public space, and multiple audiences. This work does not end with death: by demanding contestation and/or commemoration, these burnt corpses have political lives which exceed those of the self-immolators. Ultimately, I argue that self-immolation is not only a destructive act but can be a productive and future-oriented mode of politics
Aesthetics · Environmental ethics · Political science · Politics · Resistance (ecology · Self · Sociology · Work (physics · Engineering · Gender Studies · Law · Literature, Magical Realism, García Márquez · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology
| Citations per year | 0.33 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2023 - 2023 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |