The Politics of Acknowledgements: Strategy, Sincerity and Scholarly Gratitude in Burma/Myanmar Studies

ABSTRACT Acknowledgements are an important way to publicly address intellectual debts and to express appreciation for the relationality of scholarship, which too often is seen as an individual product. In Burma/Myanmar studies, acknowledgements often follow particular conventions because of the authoritarian context and the colonial roots of the discipline. While acknowledgements can be seen idealistically as ‘paratexts’ that build scholarly community, or cynically as performative documents that seek to establish credibility, I argue that they often contain a combination of what Buddhists would call parahita (benefit for others) and atahita (benefit for self)—and that we can move toward the former by honestly examining the latter. This paper explores the ethics of acknowledging and asking permission to acknowledge collaborators who are situated inside, outside, and on the borders of the country and of academia, within a system of economic and political inequality stemming from coloniality and authoritarianism in Burma/Myanmar. I offer an unscientific typology of ‘moves’ that authors use to acknowledge others they perceive as more powerful, less powerful, or equally powerful. I also lay out recommendations for ethical practice in acknowledgements, which might mitigate inequalities and inspire research as mutual aid.