Editorial Introduction
Dr Mala Shikha Shukla
Associate Professor, Spanish Centre, School of Languages, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
This issue presents critical explorations of gender and sexuality from varied interdisciplinary perspectives. We are sincerely thankful to Professor Clare Hemmings, London School of Economics and Political Science, for her enlightening conversation with Pragati Das on her research on transnational gender and sexuality studies, feminist epistemology, and the narratives within feminist theory. Her critical reflection on the historical imagination in feminist politics and the interplay between nationalism, feminism, and sexuality enriches our understanding of the relations. Prof Hemmings also shared her thoughts on her notable works, including Bisexual Spaces: A Geography of Gender and Sexuality and Why Stories Matter: The Political Grammar of Feminist Theory. Her insights into ongoing projects, such as Inheritance: A Memory Archive and Unnatural Feelings: Anti-Gender and the Right, inspire us to explore these emerging areas.
With this issue, we have introduced a new model of book review, where the author (s) are interviewed about the book. We believe this model will reveal more about the book and facilitate a more critical exchange with the author’s critical and creative processes. We are grateful to Veronica Frigeni, Visiting Scholar in Residence in Gender Studies at the Central European University, for introducing the model. The book review critically examines Andrea O’Reilly’s anthology, In (M)other Words: Writings on Mothering and Motherhood, 2009-2024. This book, a collection of 25 essays, discusses maternal theory, matricentric feminism, and diverse experiences of mothering, including queer, ambivalent, and joyful motherhood. The accompanying interview provides further insights into the book as O’Reilly discusses the evolution of motherhood studies and her motivations behind the anthology. I am sure this conversation will inspire scholars in the field of motherhood studies. We are deeply grateful to Prof. Andrea O’Reilly for sharing her scholarly insights. I hope this significant contribution to feminist scholarship will encourage readers to critically engage with the intersections of motherhood, feminism, and social justice.
This issue also presents a few thought-provoking research articles. The article “Gender in the Archive: The Dialogic Potential of Public Memory in the Outtakes from Claude Lanzmann’s Shoah” by Lisa A Costello, Professor, Dept of English and Director of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Statesboro Campus, Georgia Southern University, USA, critically examines the gendered dimensions of Holocaust memory. Through archival research, this discussion reveals how the outtakes from Lanzmann’s seminal film, released by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2016, highlight the underrepresentation of women’s experiences in the original narrative. The author argues that these outtakes challenge the so-called “neutral” public memory narratives, exposing the gender binaries that have historically shaped Holocaust remembrance. The piece introduces the concept of “performative memorialization,” where active audience engagement with artifacts like these outtakes can reimagine public memory as a dynamic and inclusive process. Prof Costella thus adds a valuable dimension to the importance of revisiting historical narratives to amplify marginalized voices and foster a more equitable understanding of the past.
In the article “Silent Strength and Subversive Acts: Feminist Interpretation of Pather Dabi”, Tasmia Islam Aurin, an emerging scholar from Northern University Bangladesh, critically examines the unnoticed resistance of female characters in Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel. It explores how Bharati and Sumitra navigate the socio-political landscape of colonial Bengal through subtle defiance and intellectual agency. This work contributes to feminist literary criticism by unearthing the power of quiet rebellion and its impact on colonial-era gender dynamics.
In the article, “Unveiling Gender Constructs and Body Politics in Mahasweta Devi’s Draupadi”, Anushka Mitra, a young independent researcher from Kolkata, critically engages with the representation of the character of Dopdi Mejhen to explore the intersection of gender identity, violence, and societal norms. She demonstrates how gender-based violence shapes female identity and critiques the repressive social constructs that define ‘womanhood.’
The issue also features an article in Spanish: “Impresiones sobre el Feminismo en la India: Breve mirada desde el Sur Global en un contexto en transformación” by María José Gómez Arrieta, a Doctoral Fellow, Osmania University (ICCR Fellow), Hyderabad, India. The article critically examines the evolving landscape of feminism in India and explores the tension between traditionalism and modernity. The study advocates for a pluralistic approach to gender equality and emphasizes the need to transcend stereotypes and address systemic inequalities that persist in both rural and urban settings.
Next, we have a paper discussed from the perspective of systematic philosophy, by Leyla Torres-Bravo & Miguel López-Astorga, University of Talca, Chile. “The Combinations of Possibilities of ‘If’ in Academic Texts: A Study Based on Two Papers about Women’s History” explores the linguistic and logical interpretations of conditional statements in academic writing. Using the theory of mental models, the study examines how sentences containing “if” are understood in two papers focused on women’s history. It identifies a predominant use of conditional and biconditional interpretations.
Liliane Steiner, Principal Research Assistant, the Arnold and Leona Finkler Institute of Holocaust Research, Bar- Ilan University, Hemdat College of Education, Israel, in the article “The Mutilated Body: The Representation of the Feminine Body in Female Holocaust Survivors’ Memoirs”, presents her research on the portrayal of the feminine body in Holocaust narratives by exploring the themes of loss, de-feminization, and the desecration of the Jewish feminine body, as recounted in memoirs by female Holocaust survivors. The study shows how these narratives use fragmented representations to convey the trauma and atrocities inflicted upon women during and after the Holocaust. Dr Steiner introduces the concept of “poetics of catastrophe,” to convey how survivors’ testimonies serve as acts of resistance and reclamation.
We have also published two short but thought-provoking articles. The article “Perspective Feminism and Realization of Gender Subjectivation in the Theoretical Field of Metamodernity” by Olga Vlasova from the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies, Ukraine, critically examines the evolving dynamics of feminist philosophy within the framework of metamodernism. It emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary research methods to explore the complex relationship between gender identity and subjectivity. This work makes a significant contribution to gender studies by challenging postmodern principles while retaining their foundational insights, offering a fresh perspective on the fluid and dynamic nature of gender subjectivation.
The article “Perspective Interpretation in Post-Postmodern Theoretical Drift and Gender Mutations” by Tetiana Vlasova, Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies, Ukraine, critically examines the evolving role of interpretation in post-postmodern narratives, with a focus on gender constructs. It explores how acts of interpretation shape cultural and gender narratives. This work contributes to gender studies by challenging static interpretations and highlighting the fluidity of gender narratives in a post-postmodern context. It offers valuable insights into the intersections of language, culture, and gender, enriching the discourse on identity and representation.
This collection challenges dominant paradigms and amplifies marginalized voices. We look forward to your feedback and letters to the editors, which can be published in the next issue.
