Theory Buzz
Social theory examines the fundamental problems, inequalities, and forms of violence that shape our world, but can often be uninviting or perplexing to those not steeped in its language. We aim to clarify its importance, and in the process, learn, politicize, and personalize the most incisive social theory around the globe today. Oh, and totally listenable! Theory Buzz Podcast (TBP) is a monthly podcast that brings authors, books, and theory together in a thoroughly dynamic way. Away from both lofty pretenses and empiricist disdain, we cut through the jargon to elucidate important ideas and emphasize their significance to our moment. Every month, we hold a friendly but productive conversation with an author of a recent book in social theory, broadly conceived (don’t hold us to account on “recent”). Our conversations will address the history and trajectories of these works, while emphasizing their relevance to, and impact on, the worlds we live in.
Theory Buzz
Neither Settler Nor Native
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Season 1
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Episode 2
In the second episode of Theory Buzz Podcast, hosts Bassam Haddad and Libby Anker speak with Mahmood Mamdani on his recent book Neither Settler Nor Native: The Making and Unmaking of Permanent Minorities (Harvard University Press, 2020). The conversation features such topics as state-building through the function of the national and the colonial, how such processes categorized different populations, and how such categorizations created pretexts for state violence and control.