Art as resistance in the Global South: cultural defiance of extremism

This article presents research on the intersection between cultural expression and ideological resistance. The case study refers to Swat Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is based on in-depth interviews with thirteen artists and cultural figures in Swat, which reveal how artists, poets, and cultural practitioners have used art as a means of rebellion against emerging extremism. The study contributes to public administration scholarship by extending the understanding of governance mechanisms beyond formal bureaucratic institutions to informal, symbolic, and local rationalities through which Global South communities negotiate authority, legitimacy, and resilience. The article adds to the literature on the topic of governance and resistance in the Global South by showing how localised and informal institutional modes of public value and identity politics are realised through cultural channels. It joins the wave of attempts to decolonise knowledge about state administration by pre-empting traditions, beliefs, and practices of culture that tend to be pushed to the periphery by mainstream development and governance paradigms.