Full Description
The Monster in Your Path is an original and provocative look at why the global Left stumbles when dealing with historical structures of subordination like caste or race. Sharika Thiranagama examines rural communities in the South Indian state of Kerala, where decades of Communist Party rule has transformed life through land reform and social reorganization. Despite Marxist ideals, new forms of caste disparities have moved from "public" space to private spaces and private lives. Through an exquisitely crafted ethnography that centers Dalit women, the book explains how historical economies of humiliation and subordination continue to influence modern spaces like the private home. From histories of enslavement to an exploration of the houses and neighborhoods through which Dalit communities build dignity and self-worth, Thiranagama sets a new agenda for caste studies in India and beyond.
Contents
Contents
List of Illustrations
Introduction: The Monster in Your Path
Part One. The Work of Inheritance
1. Enslaved Occupations
2. A Working Woman: Strong Bodies and Soft Hands
3. The Cultural Life of Communism: The Party and Its Downtrodden
Part Two. The Rural Modern
4. The Houses of the Past: Aesthetic Economies of Caste
5. Concrete Futures: New Houses and New Neighborhoods
6. Self-Improvement: Marriage and Inheriting a Future
Coda
Acknowledgments
Notes
References
Index
