University of Sussex
Browse

File(s) not publicly available

Sex, Violence and History in the Lives of Idi Amin: Postcolonial Masculinity as Masquerade

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 16:32 authored by Mark Leopold
Idi Amin, President of Uganda between 1971 and 1979, has become a contemporary icon of evil, exemplifying the idea of postcolonial Africa as an inevitable repetition of the 'heart of darkness'. This article argues that Amin's performance of gender and sexuality was central to the development of this iconic image, while a sexualized hyper-masculinity, linked to his colonial military background, was crucial in both Amin's rise to power and his manner of exercising it. Using both Lacanian theories of radical evil and anthropological analysis, the article concludes that Amin's image represents an historical imaginary concealing the realities of postcolonial power.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Journal of Postcolonial Writing

ISSN

1744-9855

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Issue

3

Volume

45

Page range

321-330

Pages

10.0

Department affiliated with

  • Anthropology Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-02-06

Usage metrics

    University of Sussex (Publications)

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC