The Self-Respect Movement and its Legacies Conference, a two-day conference in September 2025 at the University of Oxford, commemorates the centenary of the Self-Respect Movement rooted in South India’s Dravidian ideologies. This movement profoundly influenced socio-political thought in Tamil Nadu by challenging entrenched hierarchies of caste and gender. Simultaneously, the conference aims to explore global interpretations of self-respect, social justice, and human dignity, fostering an academic dialogue that bridges regional and international perspectives.
This interdisciplinary event will examine the ongoing relevance of self-respect as a foundational concept in social and political systems worldwide. It will juxtapose the Dravidian approach with diverse global movements, such as civil rights struggles, anti-apartheid efforts, and contemporary protests against systemic inequalities, that have sought to dismantle oppressive power structures. Scholars from various backgrounds will discuss how principles of self-respect have evolved in different cultural contexts and how they can address contemporary challenges like authoritarianism, religious extremism, and gender-based oppression on a global scale.
A key focus will be a comparative analysis of caste-based oppression in India and analogous social hierarchies worldwide, such as racial segregation, ethnic discrimination, and class stratification. Participants will explore how religion and ideology have been utilized to sustain these hierarchies and examine movements across the globe that have sought to deconstruct them. The Dravidian emphasis on rationalism and secularism will be considered alongside global philosophies that advocate for similar principles, aiming to contribute to worldwide struggles against discrimination.
Another central theme is the redefinition of gender roles integral to the Self-Respect Movement and its parallels with global feminist movements. The conference will analyze how strategies for dismantling patriarchal structures in Tamil Nadu can engage with international efforts advocating for women’s rights, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and gender non-conformity. Issues of gender equity will be addressed through multiple lenses, including race, class, and ethnicity, exploring intersections of these identities in diverse global contexts. Insights from both Tamil Nadu’s feminist politics and international gender studies aim to inform and enrich each other.
Additionally, the conference will examine experiences with federalism and governance in Tamil Nadu and compare them with global models of autonomy and decentralization. Discussions will focus on how different federal structures can foster inclusive governance, preserve cultural diversity, and resist the erosion of local autonomy. Lessons drawn from India’s federal challenges and successes will be juxtaposed with case studies from other nations, such as federal conflicts in Spain’s Catalonia, autonomy movements in Scotland, and indigenous governance in Latin America, to inform governance models worldwide.
By bringing together academics from various disciplines and regions, the Self-Respect Movement and its Legacies Conference aims to facilitate a critical exchange between the Self-Respect Movement’s legacy in Tamil Nadu and parallel movements worldwide. This scholarly dialogue intends to deepen the understanding of self-respect in different social, political, and cultural contexts. The goal is to envision how these principles can collaboratively guide global efforts toward a more just, equitable, and inclusive world.
