Blogging in India: Changing Contours of Dalit Activism, Journalism and Literature

Author: Dr. Ravinder Dhaliwal

ISBN: 978-9393082169

Page Count: 200

Binding: Hardbound

Language: English

About the Book:
The significance of the book lies in mapping the emergence of a Dalit cyberspace. Based on content analysis of 100 Dalit blogs, it is a pioneer work in the field. It argues that blogging holds the potential to disseminate the literature and ideology of the marginalized more effectively than traditional print media and other prevalent social media platforms. Examining diverse dimensions of Dalit blogs, the exploration entails a comparative analysis of their aesthetics, ideology, and activist potential with the more valued print literature, particularly in terms of readership and engagement. The author posits a typology for the systematic study of Dalit blogs, underscoring distinct categories of blog writings viz. Activist, Literary, and Journalistic. This typology is relevant as journalism, literature and grass-root activism have also been identified as three intertwined strands of Dalit movement, historically. The book establishes that blogs are a site of resistance writing for the writers on the periphery and an excellent medium of self-representation for the hitherto underrepresented and misrepresented marginalized communities. The work will be important for those in Dalit Studies, New Media Studies, Cultural Studies, Digital Literature, and Subaltern Studies.