Full Description
For decades, the heartland of Myanmar has been configured as a pacified space under military surveillance. A closer look reveals how politics is enacted at distance with the state. Calibrated Engagement weaves together ethnography and history to chronicle the transformation of rural politics in Anya, the dry lands of central Myanmar. The book presents situations as varied as local elections, inheritance transmissions, land conflicts and ceremonies, to show that politics is about how people calibrate the way they engage with each other.
Contents
List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgements
Note on Text
Introduction
Part I: Histories
Chapter 1. The Coming of Village Headship
Chapter 2. The Last Men of Power
Chapter 3. The Rise of Village Affairs
Part II: Making Politics
Chapter 4. Being the Headman
Chapter 5. Transmitting Land
Chapter 6. The Worth of the Big Men
Chapter 7. Coda. Choosing a New Headman
Conclusion: History, Power and Violence
Glossary
References
Index
