Yale speaker looks at new ‘cultural’ politics

clarkeThe Division of Social Science will feature two prominent speakers in the remaining lecturers of its Fall 2004 Lecture Series today and Monday.



Kamari Clarke (right), an associate professor at Yale University, will deliver her talk “Secularism at the Crossroads? The ICC and Transformations in National Sovereignty” on Thursday, Nov. 25th, in S752 Ross Building from 2:30 to 4:30pm.


Looking at what she calls the “new cultural politics”, Clark has analyzed the relationship between the International Criminal Court (ICC) and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in protecting human rights in the countries which fall under the jurisdiction of the ICC. She argues that the NGOs provide important services to developing countries but at the expense of them becoming welfare states. She also says religious groups and revivalist organizations that try to justify their claims to homelands are another reason why the ICC and NGOs are sometimes limited in what they can do.


paget henryPaget Henry (left), a professor of sociology and Africana studies at Brown University and one of the most important Anglo-Caribbean philosophers presently writing, will discuss his book Calherban’s Reason: Gender and Afro-Caribbean Philosophy (Routlege 2000) on Monday, Nov. 29, in 305 York Lanes.


Henry specializes in dependency theory, Caribbean political economy and the sociology of religion, art and literature. His interests include Africana philosophy and religion, race and ethnic relations, post-structuralism and critical theory. His more than 50 articles, essays and reviews have appeared in dozens of publications and his essays have been reprinted in anthologies on the best work in his fields.


All members of the York University community are invited to attend both of these  lectures. For more information, please visit the Division of Social Science’s lecture series Web page.