Description
Book SynopsisUntil they were banned in 2009, the radio debates called Ugandan People's Parliaments gave common folk a forum to air their views. But how do people talk about politics in an authoritarian regime? The forms and parameters of such speech turn out to be more complex than a simple confrontation between an oppressive state and a liberal civil society.
Trade Review“This is an exciting, path-finding study of the ambiguous rules under which Ugandans explore, from above and below, the politically permissible in their ‘no-party’ state. Social discipline constrains freedom of speech as much as state surveillance. The choreography of publicly compliant criticism, superbly observed, advertises a polite political class in the making, not vulgar dissent.” -- John Lonsdale, University of Cambridge
“I learned a tremendous amount from Talkative Polity about politics, speech, radio, and the constitution of political subjectivity in Uganda. Brisset-Foucault’s book offers a rich analysis of contemporary Uganda and an excellent example of how as scholars we can craft depictions that honour the complexities of the lives of those we study and from whom we learn.” * Politique Africaine *
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Talkative Polity’s depiction of political practice is intricate, thoughtful, and complex. Brisset-Foucault goes deep into the messy verbal jousts and opinionated debates of the ‘people’s parliaments,’ ultimately reclaiming political discourse as something that is done by Ugandans, for Ugandans, and about Uganda.” -- L. Carol Summers, author of Colonial Lessons: Africans’ Education in Southern Rhodesia, 1918–1935
