Politics of Karma (Kamma): Women's Identity Formation in Theravada Buddhist Discourse and Subaltern Gendered Agency

Wednesday, 26 February 2025 | 10:00 to 12:00 EST | Room 857, Eighth Floor, Kaneff Tower, Keele Campus, York University & Virtually via Zoom

Aung Min Thein, Visiting Research Fellow, York University & PhD Candidate, Chiang Mai University

Respondent: Alicia M Turner, York University

Despite the multiple interpretations of Karma (Kamma) in Myanmar, the dominant patriarchal framework within Theravada Buddhism continues to marginalize women by promoting the notion that a woman’s birth is a consequence of bad Karma (Kamma). This study examines the complexity of Karma in performance-based Buddhism, the influence of the multivocality of Buddhist texts and patriarchal interpretations on the formation of women’s identities, and the development of subaltern gendered agency in the discursive Theravada Buddhist narratives. The central claim is that women’s identity is not static within the framework of Karma, the law of Karma is impermanent, and the concept of Karma and rebirth cannot be oversimplified due to many conditions influencing existence and the various elements contributing to rebirth. By arguing that gender is fluid and not solely the result of Karma, this study seeks to take an applied approach to Gender and Buddhist Studies in Southeast Asia, offering a different hermeneutic of gender with liberatory possibilities for Southeast Asian women.

Virtual attendees can register at this link.

This event is part of the Burma Past and Present: Religion, Ethnicity and Power, a series of readings and discussion of works in progress. We will be reading and discussing work in progress with the author. Please email hmlwin[at]yorku.ca to receive a copy of the reading.

For more information: ycar[at]yorku.ca