The Question of Bodily Sovereignty, or Anthropology as Vulnerable Praxis

What can the body reveal about ways of being and knowing that do not fit within Western frameworks? How does the body help us understand collective modes of world-building that exist outside of, but still interact with, modern political systems and legalistic notions of sovereignty? 

Anthropologist Deborah Thomas will explore these questions by looking at the practices of Kumina, a Jamaican spiritual and cultural tradition that involves drumming, singing, and dancing. In her presentation, Dr. Thomas will draw from her experience co-organizing a Kumina festival over the past five years to show how the body carries both the legacies of colonialism and the tools to resist and reshape them. 

Organized by the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health.  Photo provided by Dr. Deborah A. Thomas 

This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.