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Keeping three radical ideas of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, which have not been seriously dealt with by mainstream Indian/Kerala historiography, at the backdrop, namely, the Nagas and Dravidians are the same people, the untouchables were Buddhists, and India's history as the history of mortal conflicts between Buddhism and Brahminism, the article attempts to study a Malayalam poem that has attained a classical status in the language, Poothapattu, to unravel the concealed layers of Kerala's past. Drawing on the distinction the filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein establishes between the image and representation and on the insights provided by the Sangham Thinai conceptualizations, the article argues that in the Pootham image created by the Savarnna Malayalees, one could see sedimentation of history, where representations of the untouchable population of different historical moments are fused into a complex image, attesting to the veracity of Ambedkar's radical ideas enumerated above.

This article attempts to demonstrate that somatic trauma caused by caste-based oppression does not stop in the bone but has the ability to penetrate the inner psyche of Dalits in multiple and unexpected ways. The novel The Gypsy Goddess (2014) serves as a comprehensive repository of wronged and misinterpreted historical events, but also lays bare the impact that systemic forms of oppression can have on people's mental health. While mainstream trauma theory has been the model used by many scholars for decades to address trauma, uncritically universalising this generalised concept of 'Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder' (PTSD) (American Psychiatric Association, 1980) risks rendering the specificity of long-term pain suffered by oppressed groups, such as Dalits, invisible and unknowable. Thus, many are the scholars who have called for an expansion of the scope and a revision of the dominant conceptions of trauma and recovery. Therefore, in order to examine the impact of casteism from a psychological dimension, this article discusses trauma as 'a spectrum of conditions' rather than a single response (Herman 1992), considering the cumulative degradation and subtle effects of 'insidious trauma' (Root 1989; 1992), the generational transmissibility of trauma and its pre-traumatic stress (PreTss) reactions (Bond & Craps 2017). Drawing on the omnipresent connection between the individual and the collective in The Gypsy Goddess, the 'founding' nature (LaCapra 2014) of Dalit trauma and the combination of ubiquitous exposure to historical loss and endless structural absence of basic human rights are also key aspects.

In presenting the final draft of the Indian Constitution to the Constituent Assembly in 1949, drafting chair B.R. Ambedkar claimed the origins of Indian democracy in the parliamentary rules of the ancient Buddhist sanghas (monastic communities). In this article we trace the development of Ambedkar's embrace of Buddhism, consider the documentary sources of his reference to Buddhist proto-democracy, and propose that his judicial philosophy was further shaped by his study of Western constitutions and the political slogans "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity," and "Educate, Agitate, Organize"

[This poem is dedicated to respected Om Prakash Valmiki, who wrote the first Dalit autobiography in Hindi published in 1997, "Joothan" (Leftovers). The poem was originally written in 2009 and recited in a program chaired by Mr. Valmiki. It was revised in 2012 to mention Murdahiya, another Dalit autobiography by Professor Tulsi Ram].

The education of Bhimrao Ambedkar is a vital part of his complex story. His experience at institutions like Columbia University with its progressive cast of academics helped him see how scholarship and activism can matter in the battle against caste oppression. His thought—and life—would have been radically different had he exclusively attended British institutions of higher education. But how did he end up in America, the imperfect land of freedom and democracy? Why did he choose Columbia University when so many other Indian students chose educational institutions in the British Empire? This study examines the question of Ambedkar's education and proposes some answers to these questions by starting with his relationship to an important early sponsor, the Gaekwad of Baroda. By tracing the engagement of Sayajirao Gaekwad III with the West, we can see the connections this ruler felt between Columbia University, America, and freedom. By placing the Gaekwad's story next to Ambedkar's—and alongside Ambedkar's nuanced lifelong engagement with one of his most prominent professors, John Dewey—we can reveal new connections between the American experience and what Ambedkar called "a spirit of rebelliousness." Both Ambedkar and the Gaekwad wanted an education that enshrined the right sort of rebellious freedom from oppressive external authority. This intelligent mediation of education resides in the unstable middle ground between a conservative complacency with a tradition's customs and a radical upturning of all that is through revolution. Ambedkar, like his pragmatist teacher John Dewey, wanted a sense of education that was reflective and reconstructive.

In the generic description of Indian society, the question of memory is about passive recollection of past. But in the caste-system based Indian experience, memory is also an active source of transforming one's condition in the present and reshaping the understanding of past. Based on the fieldwork conducted on the sites of important Dalit monuments in Uttar Pradesh with a focus on the process of memory consolidation in individual and collective entities, the role of memory in mobilization of political narratives and inter-group inequality is examined. The core argument is that Dalits are unequally placed as an entity in the caste-based memory structure of collective memory; this unequal placement of Dalits is carefully constructed and mobilized by the dominant castes. In the anti-caste struggle of Dalits, collective memory consolidation has played a vital role in ideologically creating counter-memories to challenge the Hindutva meta-narratives. Yet, there continues shaping of collective memory of Dalits by dominant castes by appropriating Dalit icons. Thus, the collective memory of creating an integrated Hindu identity as the only source of identifying with the past recently has led to the marginalization of Dalits' collective memory. Overall, this article highlights the role of collective memory for a meaningful understanding of the caste politics.

In a mixed method study focused on the urban ghettos in Mumbai, Maharashtra—Matunga Labour Camp, Shell Colony, P.L. Lokhande Marg, and Ramabai Nagar—a sample of Buddhists (N=162) reported variations in support of reservation in the private sector. It was discovered that a minuscule section of them have come to reject caste-based reservations in the private sector. Using mixed methods, combining a descriptive statistical analysis of survey data and a reflexive thematic analysis of interview data, this article attempts to explore the psychological motivations underlying the rejection of reservation in the private sector. The analysis suggests that a section of Dalits want to perceive themselves as equally "meritorious" as the upper castes. This is however a reaction to a deep feeling of inferiority, reflecting internalization of the psyche of the oppressors. Besides, the fear of being marked out as a 'Dalit' at the workplace is more pronounced by availing of reservation. This sustained fear of getting stigmatized stems from internalizing "disgust" and believing the stereotypes held by the upper castes. The discomfort with self-identity also leads to a cognitive dissonance that perpetuates itself in practices like concealing caste identity. Ultimately, this rejection is rationalized by advancing the claim that reservation in the private sector will reinforce caste identity. This article contributes to understanding the psychological grounds for negative attitudes towards reservation in the private sector among Dalit Buddhists.

Despite an increase in representation in politics and other fields, Dalits face structural violence in Indian society. There is limited psychological research on how Dalits make sense of their victimization and cope with and resist casteism. This study investigates the experiences of Dalit individuals in India, focusing on their experiences of caste-based victimization, resilience, and resistance in urban spaces. The study uses a qualitative approach to study the narratives of these individuals, highlighting the juxtaposition of victimhood narratives against resilience narratives. The data of 13 Dalit participants, collected using a semi-structured interview schedule, was analyzed using Braun and Clarke's (2006; 2019) reflexive thematic analysis method. Two main themes were identified that indicated the 'ways of victimization' and 'ways of resistance and resilience' in the experience of Dalit participants. Sub-themes identified under the theme 'ways of Dalit victimization' are microaggression, deficit intergroup contact, upper caste disgust and shame among Dalits, and stereotyped assumptions. On the other hand, sub-themes under 'ways of Dalit resistance and resilience' include education, reclaiming classroom space, affirmative action, confronting individuals, having aspirations and generating solidarity, dismissing merit, and an appreciation of ancestry. The analysis also highlighted notions of Brahminical colonization and establishing ingroup indigenization. The findings shed light on the varied forms of collective resistance/resilience, especially focusing on the underpinning psychological processes.

This study examines the evolving securitization of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs) in the United States (U.S.), utilizing the Copenhagen School's theory to illustrate a significant shift in the Pentagon's discourse, moving from outright dismissal to a nuanced acknowledgment of UAPs. By engaging with and expanding upon the UFO taboo discussions, this research sheds light on the contemporary debates on the role of materiality in securitization processes. The paper argues that the complexity of UAP securitization necessitates a multidisciplinary approach that integrates security, scientific inquiry, and global cooperation which will consequently provide a multidimensional understanding of UAPs within national and international security frameworks.

In 2014, with the release of Barbie's official profile on Instagram, people felt encouraged to create pages to share images and stories of their own Barbie dolls, creating a doll community on Instagram. The purpose of this work, part of an ongoing PhD research, was to explore this online community, understand how Barbie is portrayed on Instagram, and identify constructions that reflect aspects of our culture. For this investigation, a netnographic study of 100 Instagram profiles was performed. Overall, we found that the images of the doll can be understood as devices, which refers to any artifact capable of capturing and shaping people's gestures, behavior, and opinions. In general, Barbie is used on Instagram as a protagonist of lifestyle narratives (88 % of the pages). We also found that 11 % of the pages are dedicated to fashion editorials. In both cases, we found consistent similarities between the images and captions shared by users with those posted on the doll's official profile. Unexpectedly, this study also identified profiles that use images of Barbie to promote discussions of topics related to the black population, comprising 1 % of the total sample, demonstrating a new way of using the doll's images.

El presente artículo propone un recorrido crítico por ciertas teorías fotográficas hegemónicas y entabla un cruce entre autores que han desarrollado diálogos intertextuales con respuestas a inquietudes similares. Ordenados cronológicamente, en un primer momento se analizan trabajos surgidos durante la década del 80 que abordaron a la fotografía desde los estudios semióticos, a partir de la teoría del índex, en pos de búsquedas ontológicas del medio. Luego, una serie de autores que desde finales de los 90 rechazaron aquel análisis semiótico y propusieron abordajes teóricos específicos que reivindicaron las particularidades técnicas del medio. En tercer lugar, se retoman aportes que teorizan las complejidades del uso de la fotografía como testimonio documental y, por último, se presentan las herramientas de análisis propuestas por los estudios visuales a partir del nuevo milenio, las que permiten cuestionar y poner en jaque concepciones reduccionistas e instrumentales previas.

Este trabajo articula aportes de los estudios culturales, estudios visuales y semiótica de la imagen, para abordar los repertorios visuales sobre las mujeres en el espacio público urbano durante el 32° Encuentro Nacional de Mujeres, en el contexto de producción y circulación de discursos mediáticos.
Se recuperan publicaciones del 14 al 16 de octubre de 2017, fechas de desarrollo del encuentro. Esta selección se divide en: (1) periódicos locales (Chaco) de circulación tanto impresa como digital[1] (Norte y El Diario de La Región), y (2) revistas de alcance nacional con circulación enteramente digital (La Primera Piedra y LatFem). En conjunto, estos medios publicaron 39 notas y 232 fotografías.
La contrastación muestra que la construcción mediática se enfoca en: representaciones del espacio ciudad donde las mujeres aparecen en "coloridas" manifestaciones (Norte), y en representaciones de mujeres configuradas como la espacialidad significativa donde las señales del espacio ciudad, sólo aparece mediante la captura del mensaje de grafitis (LPP).

El 2 de abril de 2013 ocurrió una devastadora inundación en la ciudad de La Plata (Buenos Aires, Argentina) y, en los meses y años posteriores, se motorizaron numerosas acciones culturales que problematizaron lo sucedido. Con el objetivo de estudiar el rol desplegado por las prácticas artísticas en los procesos de construcción de memorias, el artículo analiza un conjunto de proyectos desarrollados desde 2014 hasta la actualidad. De esta manera, en primera instancia, el artículo recupera iniciativas desarrolladas desde el campo artístico con el fin de aportar a la construcción de una cartografía de producciones en torno al tema. Posteriormente, el trabajo aborda la experiencia Pecados Capitales de la artista visual Aixa Cortés, que transcurrió tanto en el espacio público como también en una exposición en un espacio privado, con el propósito de estudiar las materialidades, los lenguajes utilizados y los relatos propuestos en torno al acontecimiento.

El artículo analiza los usos y apropiaciones de las Siluetas de Margarita Belén, imágenes pintadas por primera vez en 1984 por el artista, escritor y ex detenido político, Miguel Ángel Molfino, orientadas a inscribir la memoria de las víctimas y de la masacre de Margarita Belén en el espacio público de Resistencia, Chaco. Este acontecimiento visual adquirió una gran potencialidad para la activación y reelaboración del recuerdo de la represión durante la última dictadura cívico-militar, por lo que las Siluetas de Margarita Belén fueron -y son- estrategias de representación que, fragmentaria y heterogéneamente, inscribieron la memoria de la masacre y sus víctimas.
En este sentido, se reflexiona acerca de la rápida incorporación de estas imágenes en la militancia de los derechos humanos, lo que las llevó a ser plasmadas en registros visuales de distintos formatos: muros, revistas, afiches, invitaciones a conmemoraciones y hasta resultar ser objeto de políticas de memoria. Para esto, buscamos, por un lado, reconstruir algunas instancias de producción, apropiación y reproducción de estas imágenes a través de distintos soportes y contextos desde 1984 y, por otro, indagar los modos en que estas formas visuales abrieron el presente y cada época para permitir la irrupción del pasado traumático.

En este trabajo nos proponemos cartografiar una red de tópicos estéticos de dos series webs de la provincia de Misiones: Manduricio (Acosta-Bellocchio, 2017) y Urú y otros relatos de la tierra roja (Guerín, 2017). Nos interesa, particularmente, el empalme dialógico que realizan estos textos audiovisuales con los bordes de lo real y, por consiguiente, el uso de ciertas estrategias estéticas que nos permiten, en la configuración del universo diegético, distinguir los excedentes, los desbordes, las discontinuidades.