Author: seacoast

Ocean Pulse: Historicizing the Modern with Muse Mentors, Barbara and Leonard Andaya

seacoast Muse/Mentor Visit, Slow Seminar

Maritime Southeast Asia is a region that has been defined by deep histories of cultural exchange, regional and global trade networks, and multiple, fluid maritime polities. Historians have shown how the flow and exchange of goods, peoples, and ideas shaped the diverse epistemic conditions upon which trade and later colonial relations were perceived and negotiated. Here, modern categories of difference, including race, animality, and binaries of gender, sexuality, and self-other, encounter divergent forms of tractions, frictions, and slippages—all of which are still being worked through in contemporary modern Southeast Asian societies. Diving into historical currents and navigations, we take a closer look at the indeterminacies of modernity and the processes that contribute to its reification and discontents.

Ocean Pulse is an invitation to explore the historical forces and relations that have shaped maritime Southeast Asia, and open up conversations about how modern categories of difference, and the realities they engender, are shaped by specific and interconnected historical conditions.

As we navigate these complexities, we are fortunate to have SEACoast Muse Mentors for this year, Professors in History, Leonard and Barbara Andaya, who will each deliver a talk that draw from their ongoing works, Pacific History from the View of Eastern Indonesia, and “Braving the wrath of sea monsters and the wile of sea-maids”: Gendering Early Modern Encounters with the Underwater World, respectively (abstracts attached).

Each talk will be followed by roundtable discussions with UCSC’s very own, Professors Carla Freccero (History of Consciousness), Sharon Kinoshita (Literature), and Vanita Seth (Politics). We are grateful to be hosting these distinguished scholars from different disciplinary fields, and to bring their groundbreaking work and ideas into conversation with each other.

We would love for you to be a part of the conversation at the two events we have planned for Ocean Pulse. Please see below for more details and links to register. Event flyers are also attached, for you to circulate in your networks that are local or close to Santa Cruz for this in-person event.

If you have any questions, please write us a seacoast@ucsc.edu.

Slow Seminar on Leonard and Barbara Andaya’s works

3.50 – 5pm | Monday January 30th, 2023 | Social Sciences 1, Room 261

This seminar is an opportunity to read and discuss some of Leonard and Barbara Andaya’s key arguments about the broader currents of trade, colonial, ethnic, sexual, and gender relations that have shaped maritime history and spatial imaginations in Southeast Asia.

Readings

Leonard Andaya’s articles:
2001.The Search for the ‘Origins’ of Melayu. Journal of Southeast Asian Studies.
2000. A History of Trade in the Sea of Melayu. Itinerario, European Journal of Overseas History.

Participants are asked to read the selected texts ahead of the seminar, and not to be discouraged if you are unable to get through all of the readings. Read as much as you are able, and feel free to focus on sections that are of particular interest to you!

Please REGISTER here for event location and updates.

Talks by Leonard and Barbara Andaya & Roundtable discussions 

with Carla Freccero, Sharon Kinoshita, and Vanita Seth

9am-3pm | Friday Feb 10, 2023 | Namaste Lounge, College 9 UCSC

09:00-09:15 Opening Remarks by SEACoast Directors
09:15-10:15 Talk by Leonard Andaya: Eastern Indonesia in Oceania*
10:15-10:25 Coffee Break 
#1
10:25-11:25 Roundtable Panel
 by Vanita, Sharon, and Carla
11:25-12:10 Lunch
12:10-13:10 Talk by Barbara Andaya: “Braving the wrath of sea monsters and the wile of sea-maids”: Gendering Early Modern Encounters with the Underwater World*
13:10-13:20 Coffee Break 
#2
13:20-14:50 Plenary Discussion

*Abstracts for each talk are attached in the flyer below.

Please REGISTER here for event location and updates.

Event flyer for Ocean Pulse: Historicizing the Modern Slow Seminar on Leonard and Barbara Andaya's works 3.50 - 5pm | Monday January 30th, 2023 | Social Sciences 1 Room 261 This seminar is an opportunity to read and discuss some of Leonard and Barbara Andaya's key arguments about the broader currents of trade, colonial, ethnic, sexual, and gender relations that have shaped maritime history in Southeast Asia. Readings Leonard Andaya's articles: 2001.The Search for the 'Origins' of Melayu. Journal of Southeast Asian Studies. 2000. A History of Trade in the Sea of Melayu. Itinerario, European Journal of Overseas History. Barbara Andaya's book: To Live as Brothers: Southeast Sumatra in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries Talks by Leonard and Barbara Andaya & Roundtable discussions with Carla Freccero, Sharon Kinoshita, and Vanita Seth 9am-3pm | Friday Feb 10, 2023 | Venue TBD Leonard's Talk: Eastern Indonesia in Oceania Barbara's Talk: "Braving the wrath of sea monsters and the wile of sea-maids": Gendering Early Modern Encounters with the Underwater World
Abstract of Eastern Indonesia in Oceania Though the eastern islands of Indonesia today form a distinct part of this archipelago nation, this area can be properly regarded as part of Oceania. The connection extends far back in prehistory at the time of the Austronesian-speaking communities in Southeast Asia and their expansion into the Pacific. Eastern Indonesia’s maritime environment, its boat technology, and the prominence of the fisher-forager-trader are all factors that came to define eastern Indonesia and underscore the argument that eastern Indonesia should be regarded as an integral part of both Southeast Asia and Oceania.Abstract for "Braving the wrath of sea monsters and the wile of sea-maids": Gendering Early Modern Encounters with the Underwater World Despite scientific scepticism, public belief in the existence of “sea monsters” and humanoid marine creatures can be tracked across the globe, even into contemporary times. In the sixteenth century European sailors brought entrenched ideas about an underwater world with them as they ventured into the unfamiliar waters of Asia. Here they encountered societies that shared similar views of the sea as a domain where supernatural forces were always present. The presentation explores some of this interaction as recorded in sources from the early modern period (ca 1400-1800), but also argues that these sources were highly gendered. First, with rare exceptions, long distance sea travel was a male activity and the ocean was therefore viewed primarily through men’s eyes; second, sea monsters could be male, female or androgynous, but their very size and ferocity was a challenge to the masculinity implicit in maritime exploration; and third, it was sea beings in a female form -- as beguiling sirens, seductive mermaids, or vindictive spirit-crones -- that dominated mariners’ imagination. In the 21st century alleged sightings of sea monsters and mermaids attest the extent to which the underwater world still remains both gendered and mysterious.

 

Slow Seminar – Teren Sevea’s Miracles and Material Life: Rice, Ore, Traps, and Guns in Islamic Malaya.

seacoast Slow Seminar
We hope the academic year is off to a safe and smooth start for you!
This year, we will continue to build research that draws together scholars, artists, activists, and community members working in the arts, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and community. Together, we aim to explore the histories and ongoing transformations of Southeast Asian coastal livelihoods, ecologies, and environments. This quarter, SEACoast will begin transitioning to more in-person meetings with great care as we keep COVID safety in mind.
We start off the year with an exciting Slow Seminar discussing Teren Sevea’s award winning book, Miracles and Material Life: Rice, Ore, Traps, and Guns in Islamic Malaya, with Dr. Benny Baskara. This will be an in-person event, hosted at the Cowell Provost House.
We will also be hosting several other exciting scholars throughout the year, possibly with remote options, so keep a lookout for future event announcements.
Slow Seminar and welcome reception
Event flyer
For this Slow Seminar, we discuss Teren Sevea’s book, Miracles and Material Life: Rice, Ore, Traps, and Guns in Islamic Malaya. The publication won the Association for Asian Studies’ Harry J. Benda Prize for best first book on Southeast Asian Studies, and we hope it might open up conversations about the role of animism, religion, and nonhumans in critical landscape transformations. The e-book may be accessed through UCSC Library through this link.
We are fortunate to have Dr. Benny Baskara join and open the discussion with a few thoughts and questions. Dr. Baskara is a Research Associate and Fulbright IIE Fellow, who received his Ph.D. in Interreligious Studies from Gadjah Mada University (Indonesia). His current work focuses on religious identity and environmental interactions in maritime societies in Eastern Indonesia.
The discussion will be followed by an outdoor reception, with refreshments and plenty of opportunities to get to know SEACoast, ask questions about our Center and events, and find ways to get involved!
Please fill up this form to RSVP for the event, and contact seacoast@ucsc.edu if you have any questions.
Unless otherwise noted, masking indoors is strongly encouraged at all SEACoast events in-person.
Heartfelt thanks to Wayne Huang!
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Wayne Huang, who performed his role as Graduate Student Research Assistant for SEACoast this past year with diligence, flexibility, and an attentiveness that I could only hope to match. Thank you for steering us through the shifting tides and winds, Wayne!

Slow Seminar- Pontianak

seacoast Uncategorized
Happy Idul Fitri!

 

On May 19, Thursday, 9-11am PST, we will have a Slow (Spooky?) Seminar on Pontianak, the female vampire/ghost/monster in Malay cultures, as well as her conceptual kins throughout Southeast Asia, such as the famous Nang Nak in Thailand. We will use selected chapters of Rosalind Galt’s new book, Alluring Monsters: the Pontianak and Cinemas of Decolonization, as our point of departure & shared reference:

 

-Introduction [optional, provides some background if you have never heard of Pontianak]
-Ch.2 “Troubling Gender with the Pontianak”
-Ch.4 “Who Owns the Kampung? Heritage, History, and Postcolonial Space”
-Ch.5 only the “Point of View in the Forest” section, p.224-228

 

We see this event as a continuation of our discussion on feminist and gender theories in Southeast Asian studies from last year. Pontianak serves as a guiding figure for us to consider gender relations, aesthetics, ethnic politics, urbanization, environmental change, and secularism in and beyond Southeast Asia. If time allows, participants are encouraged to pick and watch a related movie on their own and bring it to the discussion. Personal ghost stories are also welcome!

 

Please fill out this form to RSVP. Feel free to circulate the attached flyer and invite your friends and colleagues. This is our last slow seminar for this academic year and we hope to see you there.

 

Slow Seminar- Thus Spoke the Plant

seacoast Slow Seminar

Happy Spring quarter everyone!

SEACoast is delighted to invite you to our first Slow Seminar in Spring. We will discuss Monica Gagliano’s Thus Spoke the Plant (North Atlantic Books, 2018) on April 27, Wednesday, 8-10am Pacific Daylight Time (yes, it’s a morning event for those in California.) We are thrilled to have Dr. Kat Gutierrez, Assistant Professor in History at UCSC and currently Mellon fellow at the New York Botanical Garden, to be our discussant.

Participants are asked to read the book in advance. If you plan to attend, please fill out this form. The Zoom link will be sent out at least an hour before the event. Please feel free to circulate the attached flyer.

We hope to see you there!

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A few words about Thus Spoke the Plant from its publisher:

“In this “phytobiography”–a collection of stories written in partnership with a plant–research scientist Monica Gagliano reveals the dynamic role plants play in genuine first-hand accounts from her research into plant communication and cognition. By transcending the view of plants as the objects of scientific materialism, Gagliano encourages us to rethink plants as people–beings with subjectivity, consciousness, and volition, and hence having the capacity for their own perspectives and voices. The book draws on up-close-and-personal encounters with the plants themselves, as well as plant shamans, indigenous elders, and mystics from around the world and integrates these experiences with an incredible research journey and the groundbreaking scientific discoveries that emerged from it. Gagliano has published numerous peer-reviewed scientific papers on how plants have a Pavlov-like response to stimuli and can learn, remember, and communicate to neighboring plants. She has pioneered the brand-new research field of plant bioacoustics, for the first time experimentally demonstrating that plants emit their own ‘voices’ and, moreover, detect and respond to the sounds of their environments. By demonstrating experimentally that learning is not the exclusive province of animals, Gagliano has re-ignited the discourse on plant subjectivity and ethical and legal standing. This is the story of how she made those discoveries and how the plants helped her along the way.”

For more info about the author, please visit Monica Gagliano’s personal website:
https://www.monicagagliano.com

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