East Timor, Rene Girard and Neocolonial Violence - Scapegoating as Australian Policy

In a new historical interpretation of the relationship between Australia and East Timor, Susan Connelly draws on the mimetic theory of Rene Girard to show how the East Timorese people were scapegoated by Australian foreign policy during the 20th century.Charting key developments in East Timor''s history and applying three aspects of Girard''s framework - the scapegoat, texts of persecution and conversion - Connelly reveals Australia''s mimetic dependence on Indonesia and other nations for security. She argues that Australia''s complicity in the Indonesian invasion and occupation of East Timor perpetuated the sacrifice of the Timorese people as victims, thus calling into question the traditional Australian values of egalitarianism and fairness. Connelly also examines the embryonic conversion process apparent in levels of recognition of the innocent victim and of the Australian role in East Timor''s suffering, as well as the consequent effects on Australian self-perception.Emphasising Girardian considerations of fear, suffering, forgiveness and conversion, this book offers a fresh perspective on Australian and Timorese relations that in turn sheds light on the origins and operations of human violence.>

Product details

• Authors: Susan Connelly, Connelly Susan
• Assisted by: Scott Cowdell (Editor), Chris Fleming (Editor), Joel Hodge (Editor)
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.12.2023
• EAN: 9781350285552
• ISBN: 978-1-350-28555-2
• No. of pages: 254
• Dimensions: 154 mm x 232 mm x 18 mm
• Series: Violence, Desire, and the Sacred; Violence, Desire, and the Sacr
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Miscellaneous; PHILOSOPHY / Social, PHILOSOPHY / Political, PHILOSOPHY / Religious, 20th Century, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Colonialism & Post-Colonialism, 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000, RELIGION / Philosophy, HISTORY / Australia & New Zealand, HISTORY / Oceania, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, Colonialism & imperialism, Social & political philosophy, social and political philosophy, Australasian & Pacific history, Colonialism and imperialism, Philosophy of religion, Australasian and Pacific history, East Timor, East Timor / Timor-Leste