University:
University College London
Course:
LAWS0035 | Criminology
Academic year:

2024
Views:

256

Pages:

3
Author:

Nam B.

Mechanisms of Social Control Under Modern Authoritarianism Presented by: Mrs. Tapscott Date: 31 October 2022 "Modern" Authoritarianism And The Paradox Of Restraint - The paradox of restraint refers to the seemingly contradictory co-existence of democratic institutions and authoritarian control - Maintaining democratic institutions leaves civic spaces that - however fragile can be sites of political opposition, making these regimes fragile Gender & Gendered Status - How do sporadic encounters with an authoritarian state have sustained political effects? • - Gender as an understudied mechanism Feminist international relations (IR) allows us to trace militarization from the geopolitical to the everyday Militarized Masculinities - Hyper-masculine - Dominant - Assertive - Aggressive - Self-sufficient - Embracing risk - Valuing manly warriors - Sacrifice - Compassion - Cooperation - Discipline - Order A foundational contradiction - - Scholarship seeks to reconcile this contradiction through hybrids, e.g.: • Tough and tender soldiers • Nanny masculinity • Muscular humanitarianism Instead, I propose that keeping contradictory characteristics in tension is central to the concept Militarized Masculinities And The Paradox Of Restraint - Militarized masculinities, like the paradox of restraint, is characterized by a tension between arbitrary power and disciplined order. - Embracing militarized masculinities allows regimes to foreground the - potential for violence-symbolically and materially. - The contradictions of militarized masculinities map onto those of hybrid regimes and help project state power - Encounters with this militarized masculinity project elite-level authoritarian power into the local, everyday public and private spaces Gender & Governance - Juxtaposing "civilian" masculinities to "military" masculinity of the Ugandan state Vectors Of Transmission - Livelihoods: via a militarized political economy - The home: via spatiality and movement essential to marriage and a proper household - Bloodlines: via sex and threat of disease Concluding Thoughts - The foundational tension of militarized masculinities is an underexplored but important dimension of authoritarians project power. - Paired with the paradox of restraint, militarized masculinities allow rulers to foreground the possibility for violence in tension with rule of law and project authority into public and private life.