Viking and native: re–thinking identity in the Danelaw
This paper addresses the impact of the Scandinavian settlements in England in the ninth and tenth centuries, and the role that ethnic identity and affiliation played in the society of the so–called Danelaw. It is argued that ethnic identity was not a constant factor, but one that only became relevant, at least in the evidence available to us, at certain times. It is suggested that the key to understanding expressions of ethnicity lies in the absorption of new ruling elites in northern and eastern England, and in subsequent political manoeuvring, rather than in the scale of the Scandinavian settlement. Indeed, the scale of the settlement does not easily explain most of our evidence, with the exception of some of the linguistic data. This paper stresses the importance of discussing the Scandinavian settlements not simply by reference to ethnic factors, but within the social and political context of early medieval society.
"Inside that fortress sat a few peasant men, and it was half-made": a study of 'Viking' fortifications in the British Isles, AD793-1066
The study of Viking fortifications is a neglected subject which could reveal much to archaeologists about the Viking way of life. The popular representation of these Scandinavian seafarers is often as drunken, bloodthirsty heathens who rampaged across Britain leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Excavations at Coppergate, York and Dublin however, show that the Vikings developed craft and industry wherever they settled, bringing Britain back into trade routes lost since the collapse of the Roman Empire. These glimpses of domestic life show a very different picture of the Vikings to that portrayed in popular culture. Fortifications provide a compromise to these views, as they are relatively safe, militarised locations where an army in hostile territory can undertake both military and ‘domestic’ activities. This study investigates the historiography of the Vikings and suspected fortification sites in Britain, aiming to understand the processes behind which archaeological sites have been designated as ‘Viking’ in the past. The thesis will also consider the study of Viking fortifications in an international context and attempt to identify future avenues of research that might be taken in an effort to better understand this archaeologically elusive people.
Capital Accumulation and Women's Labour in Asian Economies
* Contents * Foreword by Gerrit Huizer * 1. Feminism and the conceptualization of women's labour in Asian economies. * PART I: The Discourse on Women's Labour in Historical Perspective * 2. The patriarchal bias of working class theoreticians: Marx and Proudhon. 3. The proletarian women's movement in Germany and women's labour. 4. The legacy of the second feminist wave: the debate on household labour revisited. * PART II: The Industrial Work of Women in India and Bangladesh * 5. Home-based women labourers in the garment industry in West Bengal. 6. Wage slavery among women garment workers in the factory system in Bangladesh. 7. The German feminist school and the thesis of housewifization. * PART III: Women's Role as Agricultural Producers * 8. Developmental feminism and peasant women's labour in Bangladesh. 9. The ecofeminist discourse in India. 10. The German feminist school and the thesis of subsistence labour. * PART IV: Japanization and Women's Labour * 11. The Japanese style of management and Fordism compared. 12. Japanese women as a vast reserve army of Labour. 13. Conclusion: capital accumulation in contemporary Asia