Unfortunately I must cancel our final seminar session on 5.2.2024 due to a required scholalry staff meeting at the university. To make up for the missed discussion time, I invite you to participate in the following reflective activity:
Spend 30-60 minutes writing an internal dialogue between yourself at the beginning of this course and yourself now at the end. What key insights, questions, or critiques would you highlight from your intellectual journey with Puar’s text? How have your perspectives shifted or been complicated?
Then, post 1-2 questions or reflections from this dialogue on the course blog by [date]. These can be areas you still find confusing, moments that felt revealing or unsettling, ideas you want to explore further, or ways Puar’s concepts have informed how you look at the world.
Though we cannot meet in person, this will help synthesize our collective learning over the term. I will respond briefly to each post during the individual follow-up meetings on 12.2.2024. Please contact me if you have any questions.
I want to acknowledge that this has been an unusual semester with many disruptions and schedule changes due to circumstances beyond our control. From transit strikes to staff actions, we navigated various challenges together. While this impacted the flow of our discussions at times, I am grateful for your patience, empathy, and continued engagement with the course material and each other in the midst of uncertainty. I believe we found meaning in Puar’s text despite a sometimes “fuzzy” journey.
Please take a few minutes to provide your feedback on this course via https://lehrevaluation.fu-berlin.de/productive/en/sl/mUhkCt5e4502 . Your perspectives will help me improve courses in this module (Reading the Middle East) for future students.
I’m also excited to announce a new course for next semester – “Peering Through the Artificial Looking Glass: AI and the Middle East”:
Take a journey through the AI looking glass to examine how intelligent technologies are reshaping the Middle East. This seminar provides a critical perspective on AI, moving beyond the hype to probe its emerging influence across the region’s economies, societies, politics, and cultures.
Blending theory with regional insights, we will interpret AI’s impacts on issues from climate change and labor markets to surveillance and geopolitics. The course catalyzes debate on AI’s promises and perils, equipping students to assess its transformative potential with wisdom and nuance.
Lectures situate empirical studies within conceptual frameworks like Crawford’s “Atlas of AI.” Multidisciplinary readings and discussions consider how AI could either entrench or transform power structures. Student projects analyze AI case studies, from Emirati space programs to Saudi data initiatives.
This seminar charts AI’s expansion across a complex region. It eschews simplistic techno-utopian narratives, favoring nuanced and evidence-based perspectives. Join us as we peer critically yet optimistically through the artificial looking glass at the Middle East’s unfolding AI future.
I hope to see some of you there!
Thank you again for your thoughtful participation during an eventful semester – I have learned a great deal from you all. I wish you the very best going forward.
Best wishes, Victoria.
PS: Don’t forget that the semester closing event of the Department of History and Cultural Studies will take place on Wednesday, Feb 14, as of 6 PM in the lecture hall -1.2009 in the Holzlaube; the Iranian Studies institute has organized food and beverages.
OpenEdition schlägt Ihnen vor, diesen Beitrag wie folgt zu zitieren:
Victoria Mummelthei (1. Februar 2024). biopolitics, Closure for Our Journey with “The Right to Maim” // evaluation // next semester // semester closing event. Keine Disziplin – No Discipline. Abgerufen am 27. März 2025 von https://doi.org/10.58079/13jq8
Jasbir Puar’s “The Right to Maim” has served as a powerful lens, transforming my limited understanding of biopolitics and systemic discrimination into a multifaceted analysis. Initially, my perspective, centered on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was confined to a narrow scope. However, Puar’s insightful exploration, drawing upon disability studies and its intersections with state power and colonialism, unveiled the deeply embedded political underpinnings of discrimination. Puar’s work went beyond connecting seemingly disparate examples across countries; it illuminated the crucial link between neoliberal policies and disability concepts. This revelation offered a profound understanding of the economic machinery that perpetuates systemic discrimination. Furthermore, the exposé of how racial norms attribute value to transsexuality underscored the intricate nature of oppression.
The book’s call for critical discourse on contemporary issues resonated deeply with me. While the provided examples, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, are undeniably illuminating, I believe it’s crucial to acknowledge the manifestation of biopolitical dynamics in diverse contexts. Expanding our exploration beyond these well-known cases will undoubtedly enrich our comprehension of the pervasive nature of systemic discrimination. Puar’s exploration extends beyond mere critique. The concept of disability and debilitation, presented not as a binary state but as a dynamic process. This approach challenges the notion of fixed categories and instead emphasizes the ongoing nature of marginalization.
Despite appreciating Puar’s unflinching honesty in reflecting realities, I did find certain sections challenging, particularly in the latter half of the book. However, this discomfort underscores the book’s power to confront us with uncomfortable truths. Puar’s masterful use of examples throughout the book effectively demonstrates how the historical context of war and conflict shapes ongoing processes. The book sheds light on how slow death and maiming have been used as agendas by the Israeli government for centuries, serving their political and economic interests. Puar’s innovative definitions provide fresh perspectives on these long-standing mechanisms of oppression.
Furthermore, I was impressed by Puar’s intersectional approach, refusing to be confined by rigid disciplinary boundaries and instead embracing the space between them. The discussion on Trans bodies exemplifies this commitment to “process,” showcasing how identities and experiences are constantly evolving. However, a few aspects left me wanting more. The portrayal of Gazans as passive actors throughout the book raised questions about their agency. Including interviews and personal narratives could have offered a more nuanced understanding of their experiences. Despite facing criticism, I found Puar’s theses to be bold and thought-provoking. The intersectionality woven into their theories amplifies their impact, offering powerful frameworks for analyzing current events and our reality through a queer lens. Most importantly, Puar’s rejection of dichotomies opens up new avenues for understanding the complexities of our world, urging us to move beyond simplistic categorizations and embrace the richness of lived experiences.
Before delving into the complexities of biopolitics and systemic discrimination, I had a limited understanding of how administrations wield power over societies through the control and regulation of human bodies; however, Jasbir Puar’s article provided invaluable insights into this phenomenon, offering compelling examples that shed light on this intricate mechanisms.
Initially, my ideas on this issue were centered around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, albeit from a narrow perspective, yet through the lens of disability studies and its intersection with state power and systemic colonialism, I came to realize the deeply entrenched political underpinnings of discrimination.
Moreover, Puar’s article not only explained the connections between disparate examples across various countries but also highlighted the intersection of neoliberal policies with disability concepts. This intersection provided a profound understanding of the economic infrastructure that maintains systemic discrimination. Furthermore, the revelation of the attribution of value to transsexuality through racial norms underlined the multifaceted nature of oppression.
I respect Puar’s courage in openly presenting her ideas and critiquing prevailing trends. The article’s proactive stance for critical discourse on contemporary issues was well-appreciated for me; however, in my opinion, while the examples on well-known topics such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are illuminating, it is crucial to recognize that biopolitical dynamics manifest in other examples as well. While the examples provided offer valuable insights, exploring further issues will enrich our comprehension of the pervasive nature of systemic discrimination.
The Right to Maim by Puar has truly broadened my perspective on various issues. Puar’s alternative definitions and discussions throughout the book have made me think throughly. One such concept that really struck me was the idea of disability and debilitation, and how it is not a binary phenomenon but rather a process. ı really appreciate that they do not approach issues as a dead end but rather draw attention on issues that are in continuum and process. The notion of slow death, too, made me realize that everything that happens is a gradual process and not an abrupt event. There were parts throughout the book that I found difficult to read, especially in the last few months, but I also appreciated the fact that Puar reflected the facts as they were.
Puar’s use of examples throughout the book was helpful in understanding that historicity of the war/conflict is also remain as a process. The book sheds light on how slow death and maiming are agendas that have been used by the Israel government for almost centuries to exploit people for the government’s profit and political agenda. Puar’s new definitions provide a better understanding of these mechanisms, which have been in use for far too long. These are not concepts that have emerged now, but techniques that have been used throughout history.
I was also impressed by Puar’s intersectional focus on the subject matter, leaving the fields undefined and questioning the space between the vague, rather than addressing things from a specific angle. The discussion on Trans bodies was in line with the “process” discourse that Puar advocated throughout the book.
However, there were a few points that I found lacking. The fact that Gazans were portrayed as too inactive throughout the book made me wonder whether this diminishes their agency. It would have been useful to include interviews and personal narratives to provide a more comprehensive picture.
Although Puar’s theses have received criticism, I personally found them to be bold and thought-provoking. The intersectionality of their theories added to their potency, making them even more impactful. What I appreciated most was Puar’s avoidance of dichotomy in their theories, as it opened up new avenues for considering current events and our reality from a queer perspective.