A Taste for Oppression: A Political Ethnography of Everyday Life in Belarus (Anthropology of Europe, 6)

Belarus has emerged from communism in a unique manner as an authoritarian regime. The author, who has lived in Belarus for several years, highlights several mechanisms of tyranny, beyond the regime’s ability to control and repress, which should not be underestimated. The book immerses the reader in the depths of the Belarusian countryside, among the kolkhozes and rural communities at the heart of this authoritarian regime under Alexander Lukashenko, and offers vivid descriptions of the everyday life of Belarusians. It sheds light on the reasons why part of the population supports Lukashenko and takes a fresh look at the functioning of what has been called 'the last dictatorship in Europe'. "Belarus has emerged from communism in a unique manner as an authoritarian regime. The author, who has lived in Belarus for several years, highlights several mechanisms of tyranny, beyond the regime's ability to control and repress, which should not be underestimated. The book immerses the reader in the depths of the Belarusian countryside, among the kolhozes and rural communities at the heart of this authoritarian regime under Alexander Lukashenko, and offers vivid descriptions of the everyday life of Belarusians. It sheds light on the reasons why part of the population supports Lukashenko and takes a fresh look at the functioning of what has been called 'the last dictatorship in Europe'"-- Provided by publisher Contents Acknowledgments Notes on Text Introduction Chapter 1. Government of Rural Areas Chapter 2. A Discrete Ethnography Chapter 3. Authorized Resources Chapter 4. Illegalisms Chapter 5. Interdependencies Chapter 6. Life Horizons Chapter 7. Solidarity Chapter 8. Dignity Chapter 9. Th e Fragility of the World Chapter 10. Levels of Social Order Conclusion References Index