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Citizens as cultivars: democratic values in paddy fields and universities

Hosted by the Department of Anthropology

In-person and online public event (Old Theatre, Old Building)

Speakers

Professor Mukulika Banerjee

Professor Mukulika Banerjee

Professor David Wengrow

Professor David Wengrow

Respondent

Chair

Professor Catherine Allerton

Professor Catherine Allerton

A cultivar is a plant that people have selected for desired traits and which retains those when propagated. This lecture draws on long-term fieldwork among paddy farmers in Bengal to explore the ways in which cultivation - of crops, neighbourly relations, and selves - can help democracy and truthful politics to flourish. 

It also considers how the university, through its own cultivation of knowledge and debate, is another vital site for nurturing active citizens and a better future.

Meet our speakers and chair

Mukulika Banerjee (@MukulikaB) is Professor in Social Anthropology at LSE and was inaugural director of the LSE South Asia Centre. Her books include Cultivating Democracy: Politics and Citizenship in Agrarian India, Why India Votes?, The Pathan Unarmed and The Sari (with Daniel Miller); and the series Exploring the Political in South Asia. She created the BBC R4 documentary Sacred Election: Lessons from the biggest democracy in the world on the 2009 Indian National Elections.

David Wengrow (@davidwengrow) is a British archaeologist and Professor of Comparative Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London.

Catherine Allerton is a specialist in the anthropology of island Southeast Asia, with research interests in children and childhoods, migration, kinship, place and landscape.

More about this event

This event will be available to watch on LSE Live. LSE Live is the new home for our live streams, allowing you to tune in and join the global debate at LSE, wherever you are in the world. If you can't attend live, a video will be made available shortly afterwards on LSE's YouTube channel.

The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception. If you wish to attend the reception please register.

LSE Anthropology (@LSEAnthropology) is world famous and world leading. We combine innovative research in the unfolding contemporary world with maintenance of core anthropological traditions

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How can I attend? Add to calendar

This public event is free and open to all. This event will be a hybrid event, with an in-person audience and an online audience. 

For the in-person event: No ticket or pre-registration is required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis. For any queries see LSE Events FAQ. 

After the event there will be a drinks reception. If you wish to attend the reception please register.

For the online event: Registration for this event will open in the first half of January.

For any queries email events@lse.ac.uk.

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