The Ship of Theseus and the Problem of “Postwar” Answers to Contemporary Guatemalan Problems

Weston, Gavin and Djohari, Natalie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7636-2863 (2012) The Ship of Theseus and the Problem of “Postwar” Answers to Contemporary Guatemalan Problems. History of Anthropology Review, 23 (4). pp. 405-424.

Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)

Abstract

This article considers the problems caused by the ubiquitous use of terms such as “postwar” and “postconflict” in the analysis of contemporary Guatemala. The terms feed a historical reductionism which conflates present-day social problems with the violence of the past while also conflating continuity, change, and historical and analytical categories. Drawing upon Plutarch's thought experiment “The Ship of Theseus”, we explore the paradox at the heart of the use of “postwar” and its synonyms and demonstrate the potentially harmful effects connected to the dominance of the term.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	sdg 16 - peace, justice and strong institutions ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/peace_justice_and_strong_institutions
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of International Development
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	10 Jun 2020 00:29
Last Modified:	04 Aug 2023 00:38
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/75526
DOI:	10.1080/02757206.2013.726717

Actions (login required)

View Item