In Tea and Solidarity, Dr. Jegathesan explores the stories of the women, men, and children who have built their families and lived in line houses on tea plantations in Sri Lanka. Dr. Jegathesan seeks to expand anthropological understandings of dispossession and draws attention to the significance of gender in the lives of tea makers.
In chapter 2, Dr. Jegathesan argues that previous scholars’ description of tea plantations as a “Total Institution” is limited. She argues that yes, the entrenchment of plantation institutions in colonial structures of power and domination makes it impossible to ignore the impacts on the lives of Tamil workers, however, specifically in the younger generation, their lives are not static as they seek alternative employment opportunities. I found this illustration particularly transferable to other areas of the globe: i.e. aftereffects of slavery in the U.S. or African countries’ sovereignty post-colonialism. Furthermore, Dr. Jegathesan assessment of language was fascinating and even presented as a historical tool as well as a linguistic tool. All in all, this was an interesting read.