Description: This book offers a global and systematic overview of populist politics of history in the twenty-first century. An international group of scholars interrogates how and why populists engage with the past. Twelve case studies focus on uses of history and memory by populist movements across the globe - ranging from Brazil to Bangladesh, from Poland to Tanzania. Five thematic chapters zoom in on key features of populism: its relation to time, nationalism, emotions, academic expertise, and the language of 'moral remembrance'. The focus is both on left- and right-wing populism, as well as on oppositional populism and populists in power. This way, the volume presents an empirically rigorous and conceptually innovative analysis of populist historical reason.
Brief description: Berber Bevernage is associate professor of historical theory at the Department of History at Ghent University. His research focuses on the dissemination, attestation and contestation of historical discourse and historical culture in post-conflict situations. He is the co-founder of the interdisciplinary research forum 'TAPAS/Thinking About the PASt' which focuses on popular, academic, and artistic dealings with the past in a large variety of different cultural and social areas.
Review Quotes: 'This excellent collection brings top scholars together to examine how memory and history are instrumentalised in various forms of populism. The result is a wealth of insights and critical perspectives, making it required reading for everyone interested in this key aspect of contemporary politics.' Ann Rigney, Utrecht University