Events - JCMML
How does Augustine's Confessions reveal the often-overlooked lives of women, children, and the enslaved in fourth-century Roman Africa, shedding light on their agency amid societal constraints?
How did Roman law perceive the distinction between freedom and enslavement? While initially stark, this division was permeable, allowing individuals to transition between statuses. This talk delves into the fluidity of this line, focusing on gratitude and obligation, particularly the concept of the "ungrateful freedperson." Despite cultural assumptions that freed individuals owed perpetual gratitude to their former masters, Roman law empowered patrons to charge ingratitude, leading to various penalties, even re-enslavement. The dynamics were most apparent in marriages between freedwomen and their patrons, shedding light on Roman notions of liberty and enslavement.
How did the term "bracero" evolve from identifying landless peasants in the late nineteenth century to representing Mexican contract workers during World War II? This lecture delves into the contested history of the Bracero Program, analyzing its coercive operations and poor conditions through primary sources, including those from the Archivo General de la Nación and the Bracero History Archive. Examining perspectives from workers, growers, unions, public opinion, and government representatives, the discussion questions the program's impact on dependency and asymmetrical relations.
Did the ancient Greek sex trade rely on enslaved labor? This Lecture delves into the link between sexual labor and slavery in Greek comedy and oratory, exploring it as a cyclical practice. Abundant evidence in Athens sheds light on sex laborers, covering acquisition, manumission, and integration into the enslavement system
What were the intricacies of slavery in 18th and 19th-century Nepal? This talk explores slavery's typology, the role of slaves in social order, processes of enslavement/emancipation, and analyzes the Ain, the 1854 legal code, examining its incorporation of Hindu legal norms in regulating the complex slavery system.
How did the life and work of Johannes Manissadjian, a successful scientist during the Armenian genocide, contribute to understanding the disappearance and dispersion of indigenous lives and knowledge? Using biographical methods and archival material, this lecture will highlight the impact of mass violence on Ottoman Armenians and emphasizes the agency of genocide survivors. Additionally, it explores Manissadjian's post-genocide scientific involvement and indigenous knowledge production in the context of Adorno's 'after Auschwitz' discussions.
How did court dwarfs navigate their unique social status in early modern German courts? Despite being perceived as privileged dependents, they served various roles such as entertainers, playmates, and symbols of princely status. This talk delves into aspects of their lives, exploring recruitment, legal standing, and opportunities for social advancement. Contrary to past associations with slaves and pets, a nuanced perspective emerges by analyzing their position within broader asymmetrical dependencies in early modern court societies. Adopting an intersectional approach reveals "small differences" between social groups.
What was the crucial and yet overlooked role that British women played in the Atlantic slave trade? While much focus has been on English men involved in the trade, this lecture reveals that women were integral to its various aspects. Drawing on diverse sources, "Women of the British Atlantic Slave Trade" demonstrates women's significant contributions, challenging the traditional narrative. If, as Eric Williams claimed, British slavery was pivotal to capitalism's rise, recognizing women's involvement unveils a more comprehensive understanding of the global economic system at play
How does a new digital humanities project, born from research on the voices of the enslaved in the French Atlantic world, offer insight? Set to launch in April 2024, this project delves into the testimonies permitted by French law, revealing autobiographical narratives captured in court records. Despite challenges, this archive provides invaluable glimpses into the lives and thoughts of the marginalized. By employing a digital humanities approach, we can explore both the methodological hurdles and the profound significance of these narratives. This presentation will spotlight key individuals and themes, such as Jannot (1743), Marguerite (1764), Jeanot (1764), and Babette (1765), shedding light on their struggles and their demand for recognition of their humanity.
What moral principles guided Pope Gregory the Great (590–604)'s policy and how did he integrate them into his role as supreme manager of the papal patrimonies (i.e. papal lands) and their workforce? What is the meaning of "moral economy", and how can the pope's policies help us understand this concept? Roy Flechnerw who lectures on the history of the first millennium AD at University College Dublin will shed light on these questions during his JCMM lecture today.
How were the lives of indigenous children who worked as domestic servants in colonial Lima shaped by their roles in their masters' households? This talk explores how these domestic environments influenced the social positions of these migrant children through relationships ranging from exploitation to affection. It examines gender differences in their treatment and how these shaped their adult integration into colonial society. The discussion concludes with a comparison to modern child domestic servants, analyzing how dependency, exploitation, and affection have evolved in today's so-called democratic society.
*****************UPDATE: Unfortunately this lecture had to be cancelled.********************************** Can postcolonial capitalism's global development reveal a standard, and what are its political implications? Explore this with scholars like Lowe, Roediger, and Chakrabarty, and then delve into Du Bois and Fanon's insights on the interplay of colonialism, race, and capitalism. Analyze the "black radical tradition" and its impact on understanding primitive capital accumulation. Conclude by questioning how Du Bois and Fanon's racial and colonial insights resonate in contemporary metropolitan centers.
How did an alleged sodomy case in 1648 on an English East India Company ship shape social dynamics and attitudes towards homosexuality? Examining the events and aftermath, this Lecture sheds light on relations among crewmembers, attitudes towards homosexual acts, and the company's interaction with the Mughal Empire.
How did Jainism rise and decline in Karnataka? Originating in East India in the sixth century BCE, Jainism reached Karnataka by the second century CE. By the fifth century CE, it gained supremacy, peaking from the eighth to eleventh centuries CE. However, by the twelfth century, its influence rapidly diminished, leading to severe dependency. This presentation explores the reasons for both the rise and fall, spanning religious, social, political, and economic factors
How did Islamic law change the status of slave mothers and their children? While granting certain protections, such as freedom upon the owner's death and inheritance rights for their children, the integration of slave women into families as sexual partners wasn't always smooth. This talk examines the implications of slave concubinage on family dynamics, as depicted in medieval Arabic literature, particularly in three erotic manuals spanning from the tenth to the early fourteenth centuries. These texts grapple with justifying and defending sexual slavery while navigating the delicate balance between satisfying desires and maintaining family harmony.
How did late antique households influence wider social organization and the Roman state? They served as microcosms of society, shaping social hierarchies and relationships. Within these spaces, residents negotiated various dynamics, including those between free and slave, parent and child, and citizen and foreigner. The vulnerability of slaves to sexual exploitation and the politics of desire significantly influenced daily interactions, impacting the social status of all involved. This paper examines these dynamics and their impact on late Roman attitudes during a transformative era often dubbed the 'Age of Anxiety.'
How did late Romans experience disasters and military conflicts? Many scholars argue that these events contributed to the Empire's decline. However, this presentation offers a different perspective, focusing on how disasters affected individuals and their relationships. How did disasters impact social networks and force people into new dependencies? The talk will explore these questions and suggest that outcomes for survivors were often influenced by emerging structures of dependency, such as the ransom market.