Suspect Others: Spirit Mediums, Self-Knowledge, and Race in Multiethnic Suriname

Suspect Others explores how ideas of self-knowledge and identity arise from rituals in Suriname, a postcolonial Caribbean nation, where people seek knowledge of others through spirit mediums, challenging their own self-understanding. It highlights how interpersonal suspicion becomes doubts about the self and how self-identity is a social process shaped by the paradoxical need to look to others to know oneself.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 300 pages
\n Publication date: 22 July 2021
\n Publisher: University of Toronto Press
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Suspect Others delves into the intricate tapestry of self-knowledge and identity, shedding light on the fascinating rituals that shape these concepts in Suriname, a vibrant postcolonial Caribbean nation plagued by racial and religious tensions. In the midst of fierce competition for belonging, political power, and control over precious natural resources, the Surinamese Ndyuka Maroons and Hindus turn to spirit mediums in search of answers. These mediums promise to reveal the hidden minds of relatives, rivals, and even strangers, offering a glimpse into the mysteries of the other. However, the realm of mediumship poses a profound challenge to the devotees' understanding of themselves, casting doubt on their own identities and fostering a sense of interpersonal suspicion.

Through a rich ethnographic comparison, Suspect Others explores the diverse ways in which Ndyuka and Hindu spirit mediums and their devotees navigate these suspicions. It reveals how present-day Caribbean peoples have forged self-identities that defy the rigid concepts of personhood imposed by the colonial past. Stuart Earle Strange, the author, delves into critical questions about the nature of self-knowledge, religious revelation, and racial discourse in a society characterized by its hyper-diversity. In a time when exclusionary suspicions dominate global politics, Suspect Others provides a profound exploration of self-identity as a social process that emerges from the paradoxical interplay between seeking knowledge from others and understanding oneself.

The book offers a thought-provoking examination of the complex dynamics between individuals, communities, and the wider social context. It sheds light on the ways in which suspicions and uncertainties can shape personal relationships, cultural practices, and political ideologies. By highlighting the role of spirit mediums in mediating these tensions, Suspect Others provides a unique lens through which to understand the complexities of self-knowledge and identity in a diverse and interconnected world.

\n Weight: 468g\n
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 20 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781487540265\n \n