Inhabiting an Embattled Body: The Making of Warrior Masculinities in Sri Lanka

This book explores the militarism of Sri Lanka's Eelam Wars III and IV through the life-narratives of ex-servicemen who fought on the frontlines. It examines the sense of embattlement that young recruits feel, stemming from the inner war between bodily deference instilled in childhood and having to conduct offensives on the battlefield. It also explores themes such as masculinity, British martial masculinity, combat-training, and the battlefield. The author argues that the Sri Lankan experience has resonance for soldiers on battlefields everywhere, who become embattled when confronted by adversaries whose practice seems to diminish their own manliness.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 276 pages
Publication date: 06 April 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book provides an anthropological exploration of Sri Lanka's Eelam Wars III and IV, drawing upon the life-narratives of ex-servicemen who fought on the frontlines. It delves into militarism as a practice of masculinity, examining the sense of embattlement experienced by young recruits as they navigate the inner conflict between childhood notions of bodily deference and the demands of conducting offensive operations on the battlefield. Despite their training in assault techniques, these recruits sometimes find their bodies acting out a different trajectory, engaging in acts of spectacular violence or simply running away. The volume explores themes such as masculinity, Sinhala society, British martial masculinity versus the composed body in Sinhala discourse, combat training, and the battlefield.

The author traces the ways in which troops attempted to navigate the delicate balance between valor and violence in a context where the enemy's suicide fighters embraced an extreme code of sacrificing the body, diminishing the manliness of soldiers who could not overcome them. She argues that the Sri Lankan experience holds significance for soldiers on battlefields worldwide, as they encounter adversaries whose practices challenge their own sense of manliness.

Rich in ethnographic narratives, this book appeals to scholars and researchers in various fields, including war studies, gender studies, masculinity studies, peace and conflict studies, ethnic studies, political science, international relations, sociology, social anthropology, cultural studies, and South Asian studies. Particularly those interested in Sri Lanka and the complexities of military masculinity and its impact on conflict dynamics will find this book invaluable.

Weight: 452g
Dimension: 154 x 235 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032422732