Rudolf Mrázek

(Author)

Engineers of Happy Land: Technology and Nationalism in a ColonyPaperback, 24 March 2002

Engineers of Happy Land: Technology and Nationalism in a Colony
Qty
1
Turbo
Ships in 2 - 3 days
In Stock
Free Delivery
Cash on Delivery
15 Days
Free Returns
Secure Checkout
Buy More, Save More
Part of Series
Princeton Studies in Culture/Power/History
Part of Series
Princeton Studies in Culture/Power/History Princeton Studies
Part of Series
Princeton Studies in Culture/Power/History, 3
Part of Series
Princeton Studies in Culture/Power/History (Paperback)
Print Length
336 pages
Language
English
Publisher
Princeton University Press
Date Published
24 Mar 2002
ISBN-10
0691091625
ISBN-13
9780691091624

Description

Based on close reading of historical documents--poetry as much as statistics--and focused on the conceptualization of technology, this book is an unconventional evocation of late colonial Netherlands East Indies (today Indonesia). In considering technology and the ways that people use and think about things, Rudolf Mrázek invents an original way to talk about freedom, colonialism, nationalism, literature, revolution, and human nature.

The central chapters comprise vignettes and take up, in turn, transportation (from shoes to road-building to motorcycle clubs), architecture (from prison construction to home air-conditioning), optical technologies (from photography to fingerprinting), clothing and fashion, and the introduction of radio and radio stations. The text clusters around a group of fascinating recurring characters representing colonialism, nationalism, and the awkward, inevitable presence of the European cultural, intellectual, and political avant-garde: Tillema, the pharmacist-author of Kromoblanda; the explorer/engineer IJzerman; the "Javanese princess" Kartina; the Indonesia nationalist journalist Mas Marco; the Dutch novelist Couperus; the Indonesian novelist Pramoedya Ananta Toer; and Dutch left-wing liberal Wim Wertheim and his wife.

In colonial Indies, as elsewhere, people employed what Proust called "remembering" and what Heidegger called "thinging" to sense and make sense of the world. In using this observation to approach Indonesian society, Mrázek captures that society off balance, allowing us to see it in unfamiliar positions. The result is a singular work with surprises for readers throughout the social sciences, not least those interested in Southeast Asia or colonialism more broadly.

Product Details

Author:
Rudolf Mrázek
Book Format:
Paperback
Country of Origin:
US
Date Published:
24 March 2002
Dimensions:
23.52 x 15.6 x 2.03 cm
Genre:
Southeast Asian
ISBN-10:
0691091625
ISBN-13:
9780691091624
Language:
English
Location:
Princeton
Pages:
336
Weight:
476.27 gm

Related Categories


Need Help?
+971 6 731 0280
support@gzb.ae

About UsContact UsPayment MethodsFAQsShipping PolicyRefund and ReturnTerms of UsePrivacy PolicyCookie Notice

VisaMastercardCash on Delivery

© 2024 White Lion General Trading LLC. All rights reserved.