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Papers by Swagata Basu

Tagore and Nationalism, 2017

It is generally accepted that the nineteenth century was the period when the concept of nation-st... more It is generally accepted that the nineteenth century was the period when the concept of nation-states and the ideology of nationalism emerged in Europe, which later on spread around the world awakening nationalist sentiments in previously colonized people. While by the twentieth century several nation-states did get created, and that became the standard format around which life is organized around the world, many intellectuals have raised important questions against nationalism. Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) from India and Miguel de Unamuno (1864–1936) from Spain are two such names. This paper tries to compare the two keeping their ideas on nationalism as the axis.

<p>Spain, traditionally a migrant-sending country, has received a great number of immigrant... more <p>Spain, traditionally a migrant-sending country, has received a great number of immigrants since the early 2000s. Migrants from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have formed a small but important South Asian diaspora in Spain that is often perceived as a homogenous group by the Spanish people. Although the number of migrants in this group is comparatively less than the African, Latin American or East European counterpart, their visibility is much higher in Spanish media (film, television and newspapers). This paper will first look at the trends and patterns of South Asian immigration into Spain. It will argue that South Asian immigrants are unique in their ability to turn their 'difference' into tools that help in their survival and integration. Then the paper will discuss the representation of the South Asian migrants in Spanish films. Through the analysis of three films the paper will argue that the interaction between the migrants and the autochthonous plays out in either a framework of multiculturalism or eurocentrism. The failure or success of the interaction and/or the possibility of integration depends on this: whether the Other is accepted with its differences (multiculturalism) or expected to adopt the culture of the host society (eurocentrism).<br></p>

Vernon Press, September 2021, 2021

To physically live in a space but to remain invisible and inaudible to its surrounding is a pecul... more To physically live in a space but to remain invisible and inaudible to its surrounding is a peculiar reality for many South Asian women in Spain who usually join their working migrant spouse or other family members after a reunification process as they get transplanted from their usual socio-cultural and linguistic environment to a completely new one. This paper is an attempt to closely understand the complex spaces that they inhabit after their migration. We call those spaces language (e)scapes: places of flow, hybridity, and interaction of languages and cultures drawing on Arjun Appadurai's theory of scapes. The paper is based on eight in-depth interviews, one focussed group discussion and participant observation carried out as part of the doctoral research in Barcelona in 2018 by the author, a Spanish speaking South Asian woman herself. The study shows that there is a broad spectrum that the subjects experience which is shaped by various factors. It finds that the inability to communicate in (and thus interact with) the already diverse, host society languages along with the traditionally limiting role inside the home, trap some of the subjects into alienating bubbles where they can remain for days, months or years. However the pre-existing language repertoire and their ability to learn new languages or to translanguage, i.e., using the repertoire in new ways to communicate determine their migration experience to a large extent. While previous research establishes that the knowledge of local languages help in social integration of adult migrants, this paper fills the gap of an in-depth study of the chosen group: South Asian women in Barcelona.

e-Linguapax (Newsletter) , 2020

Language Planning and Language Policy (LPP) are the set of political decisions and laws that gove... more Language Planning and Language Policy (LPP) are the set of political decisions and laws that govern the use of one or more languages in different ambits such as education, media, administration, law, public spaces, art etc. in a given territory. (Ricento, 2006) These policies either promote or suppress certain languages in the territory governed by the policy.

In this article I highlight the importance of LPP in the context of Catalonia's complex diversity and the integration of immigrants and try to draw some parallels with the linguistic diversity in India.

This chapter analyzes and compares the ideas on nationalism of Rabindranath Tagore and Miguel de... more This chapter analyzes and compares the ideas on nationalism of Rabindranath Tagore and Miguel de Unamuno. The author provides the rationale behind comparing these two figures from India and Spain who were contemporaries. Both were deeply patriotic but were also critical of aggressive nationalism and nineteenth century materialism.

Biblioteca di Rassegna iberistica, Edicione Ca' Foscari, Venice, 2017

Spain, traditionally a migrant-sending country, has received a great number of immigrants since t... more Spain, traditionally a migrant-sending country, has received a great number of immigrants since the early 2000s. Migrants from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have formed a small but important South Asian diaspora in Spain that is often perceived as a homogenous group by the Spanish people. Although the number of migrants in this group is comparatively less than the African, Latin American or East European counterpart, their visibility is much higher in Spanish media (film, television and newspapers). This paper will first look at the trends and patterns of South Asian
immigration into Spain. It will argue that South Asian immigrants are unique in their ability to turn their ‘difference’ into tools that help in their survival and integration. Then the paper will discuss the representation of the South Asian migrants in Spanish films. Through the analysis of three films the paper will argue that the interaction between the migrants and the autochthonous plays out in either a framework of ulticulturalism or eurocentrism. The failure or success of the interaction and/or the possibility of integration depends on this: whether the Other is accepted with its differences
(multiculturalism) or expected to adopt the culture of the host society (eurocentrism).

Concepts such as Ethnicity, Nationality and Cultural Identity are inherently problematic as they ... more Concepts such as Ethnicity, Nationality and Cultural Identity are inherently problematic as they can only be defined from a subjective point of view. What one is identified as is depended on who is trying to identify him or her. Identities depend as much on one's own concept of self as it does on the distinction from the 'Other'. It is rare to develop a sense of identity without the presence of the 'other'. The need to affirm one's identity mostly arises when one comes in contact with the 'other'.

Cinema, to me, is a unique concept that cannot be compared to any other phenomenon in human histo... more Cinema, to me, is a unique concept that cannot be compared to any other phenomenon in human history. I say so because within just hundred years from its birth it has become one of the biggest, most widespread forms of entertainment for people all around the world; it has reached unimaginable heights in sophistication and quality and in some cases (Bombay Cinema, Hollywood) it has become huge industries. Cinema gave birth to an overall audio-visual culture that dominates us today. Cinema gives wings to our imagination. It becomes a window through which we can peak into a different reality than the one that surrounds us. And that imagination and knowledge of an alternative reality has a revolutionary impact on human mind. Literature, that uses the written word as its tool also have that power to open up a new world to the reader, but reading is not common to the majority of people. The patience, intellectual capacity and money required to acquire a book and read it are hindrances in the way of accessing literature. Throughout history the "masses", the common people of different societies have found oral or performative forms of entertainment more approachable. In India for example abundant folk drama and dance traditions exist. Our epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata were transferred through oral recitation from generations to generations. In Spain in the 17th century, plays by Lope de Vega were extremely popular: large number of people would gather and watch his plays for several hours. These early forms of entertainment for the masses can be seen as precursors to cinema. After a hard day of labour, a man needs an entertainment that uplifts his spirit without making him exercise his brain much. These forms of entertainment generally do not question or disturb the social order and its values. Popular Cinema today often repeats the same old stories, stereotypes, gender roles, plots and arguments: entertaining without disturbing. But great works of art are those that destabilize the presumed understanding of the viewer/listener/reader/observer of the art. And cinema has the power to do that and it has done that as well. Pedro Almodovar"s film Hable con ella (2002) shakes our understanding of what is moral or immoral in love and relationships. A man genuinely believes he is having a relationship with a woman, who is in a coma. The sexual relationship he has with her in his mind is consensual, whereas, in the eyes of law and society he has committed a crime of the highest order. The viewer cannot decide if he is guilty or innocent when they see the girl miraculously coming out of coma. Films created in the late 1960s by Fernando Ezequiel 'Pino' Solanas, Argentine film maker, activist and active politician inspire its viewers to rebel against neo-colonialism. He and Octavio Getino envisioned a cinema of resistance, a revolutionary cinema in his manifesto "Towards a Third Cinema". Filmed, edited and viewed clandestinely, The Hour of the Furnace (1968) was guerrilla warfare using a camera. In cinema we see a convergence of art, literature, technology, economy, sociology, history and many other disciplines. Cinema is also studied from all these perspectives. Without the technology of capturing moving images and adding sound to it, cinema would never have existed.

La inmigración y su representación: un vistazo al cine español de inmigración La inmigración y la... more La inmigración y su representación: un vistazo al cine español de inmigración La inmigración y la globalización son los dos fenómenos que más representan la situación de nuestro tiempo-el siglo XXI. Los dos tienen en su fondo cuestiones económicas y políticas pero tienen grandes impactos culturales y sociológicos. El movimiento de los seres humanos de un lugar a otro por la búsqueda de mejores condiciones de vida o mejores oportunidades es un fenómeno natural que ha existido desde siempre. Pero hoy la creación de fronteras, la desigualdad económica entre países, los procesos de colonización y descolonización problematizan este fenómeno natural. Se considera la inmigración como uno de los problemas más grandes que afrontan los países desarrollados de Europa 1 .

Conference Presentations by Swagata Basu

Spain, traditionally a migrant sending country, has received a great number of immigrants since e... more Spain, traditionally a migrant sending country, has received a great number of immigrants since early 2000s. Migrants from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have formed a small but important South Asian Diaspora in Spain that is often perceived as a homogenous group by the Spanish people. Although the number of migrants in this group is comparatively less than the African, Latin American or East European counterpart, their visibility is much higher in Spanish media (film, television and newspapers). This paper will first look at the trends and patterns of South Asian immigration into Spain. It will argue that South Asian immigrants are unique in their ability to turn their ‘difference’ into tools that help in their survival and integration. Then the paper will discuss the representation of the South Asian migrants in Spanish films. Through the analysis of three films the paper will argue that the interaction between the migrants and the autochthonous plays out in either a framework of multiculturalism or eurocentrism. The failure or success of the interaction and/or the possibility of integration depends on this: whether the Other is accepted with its differences (multiculturalism) or expected to adopt the culture of the host society (eurocentrism).

Tagore and Nationalism, 2017

It is generally accepted that the nineteenth century was the period when the concept of nation-st... more It is generally accepted that the nineteenth century was the period when the concept of nation-states and the ideology of nationalism emerged in Europe, which later on spread around the world awakening nationalist sentiments in previously colonized people. While by the twentieth century several nation-states did get created, and that became the standard format around which life is organized around the world, many intellectuals have raised important questions against nationalism. Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) from India and Miguel de Unamuno (1864–1936) from Spain are two such names. This paper tries to compare the two keeping their ideas on nationalism as the axis.

<p>Spain, traditionally a migrant-sending country, has received a great number of immigrant... more <p>Spain, traditionally a migrant-sending country, has received a great number of immigrants since the early 2000s. Migrants from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have formed a small but important South Asian diaspora in Spain that is often perceived as a homogenous group by the Spanish people. Although the number of migrants in this group is comparatively less than the African, Latin American or East European counterpart, their visibility is much higher in Spanish media (film, television and newspapers). This paper will first look at the trends and patterns of South Asian immigration into Spain. It will argue that South Asian immigrants are unique in their ability to turn their 'difference' into tools that help in their survival and integration. Then the paper will discuss the representation of the South Asian migrants in Spanish films. Through the analysis of three films the paper will argue that the interaction between the migrants and the autochthonous plays out in either a framework of multiculturalism or eurocentrism. The failure or success of the interaction and/or the possibility of integration depends on this: whether the Other is accepted with its differences (multiculturalism) or expected to adopt the culture of the host society (eurocentrism).<br></p>

Vernon Press, September 2021, 2021

To physically live in a space but to remain invisible and inaudible to its surrounding is a pecul... more To physically live in a space but to remain invisible and inaudible to its surrounding is a peculiar reality for many South Asian women in Spain who usually join their working migrant spouse or other family members after a reunification process as they get transplanted from their usual socio-cultural and linguistic environment to a completely new one. This paper is an attempt to closely understand the complex spaces that they inhabit after their migration. We call those spaces language (e)scapes: places of flow, hybridity, and interaction of languages and cultures drawing on Arjun Appadurai's theory of scapes. The paper is based on eight in-depth interviews, one focussed group discussion and participant observation carried out as part of the doctoral research in Barcelona in 2018 by the author, a Spanish speaking South Asian woman herself. The study shows that there is a broad spectrum that the subjects experience which is shaped by various factors. It finds that the inability to communicate in (and thus interact with) the already diverse, host society languages along with the traditionally limiting role inside the home, trap some of the subjects into alienating bubbles where they can remain for days, months or years. However the pre-existing language repertoire and their ability to learn new languages or to translanguage, i.e., using the repertoire in new ways to communicate determine their migration experience to a large extent. While previous research establishes that the knowledge of local languages help in social integration of adult migrants, this paper fills the gap of an in-depth study of the chosen group: South Asian women in Barcelona.

e-Linguapax (Newsletter) , 2020

Language Planning and Language Policy (LPP) are the set of political decisions and laws that gove... more Language Planning and Language Policy (LPP) are the set of political decisions and laws that govern the use of one or more languages in different ambits such as education, media, administration, law, public spaces, art etc. in a given territory. (Ricento, 2006) These policies either promote or suppress certain languages in the territory governed by the policy.

In this article I highlight the importance of LPP in the context of Catalonia's complex diversity and the integration of immigrants and try to draw some parallels with the linguistic diversity in India.

This chapter analyzes and compares the ideas on nationalism of Rabindranath Tagore and Miguel de... more This chapter analyzes and compares the ideas on nationalism of Rabindranath Tagore and Miguel de Unamuno. The author provides the rationale behind comparing these two figures from India and Spain who were contemporaries. Both were deeply patriotic but were also critical of aggressive nationalism and nineteenth century materialism.

Biblioteca di Rassegna iberistica, Edicione Ca' Foscari, Venice, 2017

Spain, traditionally a migrant-sending country, has received a great number of immigrants since t... more Spain, traditionally a migrant-sending country, has received a great number of immigrants since the early 2000s. Migrants from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have formed a small but important South Asian diaspora in Spain that is often perceived as a homogenous group by the Spanish people. Although the number of migrants in this group is comparatively less than the African, Latin American or East European counterpart, their visibility is much higher in Spanish media (film, television and newspapers). This paper will first look at the trends and patterns of South Asian
immigration into Spain. It will argue that South Asian immigrants are unique in their ability to turn their ‘difference’ into tools that help in their survival and integration. Then the paper will discuss the representation of the South Asian migrants in Spanish films. Through the analysis of three films the paper will argue that the interaction between the migrants and the autochthonous plays out in either a framework of ulticulturalism or eurocentrism. The failure or success of the interaction and/or the possibility of integration depends on this: whether the Other is accepted with its differences
(multiculturalism) or expected to adopt the culture of the host society (eurocentrism).

Concepts such as Ethnicity, Nationality and Cultural Identity are inherently problematic as they ... more Concepts such as Ethnicity, Nationality and Cultural Identity are inherently problematic as they can only be defined from a subjective point of view. What one is identified as is depended on who is trying to identify him or her. Identities depend as much on one's own concept of self as it does on the distinction from the 'Other'. It is rare to develop a sense of identity without the presence of the 'other'. The need to affirm one's identity mostly arises when one comes in contact with the 'other'.

Cinema, to me, is a unique concept that cannot be compared to any other phenomenon in human histo... more Cinema, to me, is a unique concept that cannot be compared to any other phenomenon in human history. I say so because within just hundred years from its birth it has become one of the biggest, most widespread forms of entertainment for people all around the world; it has reached unimaginable heights in sophistication and quality and in some cases (Bombay Cinema, Hollywood) it has become huge industries. Cinema gave birth to an overall audio-visual culture that dominates us today. Cinema gives wings to our imagination. It becomes a window through which we can peak into a different reality than the one that surrounds us. And that imagination and knowledge of an alternative reality has a revolutionary impact on human mind. Literature, that uses the written word as its tool also have that power to open up a new world to the reader, but reading is not common to the majority of people. The patience, intellectual capacity and money required to acquire a book and read it are hindrances in the way of accessing literature. Throughout history the "masses", the common people of different societies have found oral or performative forms of entertainment more approachable. In India for example abundant folk drama and dance traditions exist. Our epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata were transferred through oral recitation from generations to generations. In Spain in the 17th century, plays by Lope de Vega were extremely popular: large number of people would gather and watch his plays for several hours. These early forms of entertainment for the masses can be seen as precursors to cinema. After a hard day of labour, a man needs an entertainment that uplifts his spirit without making him exercise his brain much. These forms of entertainment generally do not question or disturb the social order and its values. Popular Cinema today often repeats the same old stories, stereotypes, gender roles, plots and arguments: entertaining without disturbing. But great works of art are those that destabilize the presumed understanding of the viewer/listener/reader/observer of the art. And cinema has the power to do that and it has done that as well. Pedro Almodovar"s film Hable con ella (2002) shakes our understanding of what is moral or immoral in love and relationships. A man genuinely believes he is having a relationship with a woman, who is in a coma. The sexual relationship he has with her in his mind is consensual, whereas, in the eyes of law and society he has committed a crime of the highest order. The viewer cannot decide if he is guilty or innocent when they see the girl miraculously coming out of coma. Films created in the late 1960s by Fernando Ezequiel 'Pino' Solanas, Argentine film maker, activist and active politician inspire its viewers to rebel against neo-colonialism. He and Octavio Getino envisioned a cinema of resistance, a revolutionary cinema in his manifesto "Towards a Third Cinema". Filmed, edited and viewed clandestinely, The Hour of the Furnace (1968) was guerrilla warfare using a camera. In cinema we see a convergence of art, literature, technology, economy, sociology, history and many other disciplines. Cinema is also studied from all these perspectives. Without the technology of capturing moving images and adding sound to it, cinema would never have existed.

La inmigración y su representación: un vistazo al cine español de inmigración La inmigración y la... more La inmigración y su representación: un vistazo al cine español de inmigración La inmigración y la globalización son los dos fenómenos que más representan la situación de nuestro tiempo-el siglo XXI. Los dos tienen en su fondo cuestiones económicas y políticas pero tienen grandes impactos culturales y sociológicos. El movimiento de los seres humanos de un lugar a otro por la búsqueda de mejores condiciones de vida o mejores oportunidades es un fenómeno natural que ha existido desde siempre. Pero hoy la creación de fronteras, la desigualdad económica entre países, los procesos de colonización y descolonización problematizan este fenómeno natural. Se considera la inmigración como uno de los problemas más grandes que afrontan los países desarrollados de Europa 1 .

Spain, traditionally a migrant sending country, has received a great number of immigrants since e... more Spain, traditionally a migrant sending country, has received a great number of immigrants since early 2000s. Migrants from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have formed a small but important South Asian Diaspora in Spain that is often perceived as a homogenous group by the Spanish people. Although the number of migrants in this group is comparatively less than the African, Latin American or East European counterpart, their visibility is much higher in Spanish media (film, television and newspapers). This paper will first look at the trends and patterns of South Asian immigration into Spain. It will argue that South Asian immigrants are unique in their ability to turn their ‘difference’ into tools that help in their survival and integration. Then the paper will discuss the representation of the South Asian migrants in Spanish films. Through the analysis of three films the paper will argue that the interaction between the migrants and the autochthonous plays out in either a framework of multiculturalism or eurocentrism. The failure or success of the interaction and/or the possibility of integration depends on this: whether the Other is accepted with its differences (multiculturalism) or expected to adopt the culture of the host society (eurocentrism).