Description
ABSTRACT
On the 27th of September 2020 war began between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. There was a surge in patriotism, and it became evident that most of the Azerbaijani population supported the war. Nonetheless, some alternative discourses emerged: in late September a group of 17 Azerbaijani leftists signed and anti-war manifesto which condemned the war, while in early October some Azerbaijanis signed a peace statement which called for immediate secession of hostilities.
However, these anti-war voices subsequently faced strong backlash by common people who were in favour of the war. Hence, the people-to-people backlash acted as a force of affective disciplining. On the other hand, while the State did engage in coercive disciplining, it did not reach the level of violent repression.
With this research, I therefore study if and how non-conforming voices can be pushed towards conformity by common people or society, who act as an extension of the State Apparatus. Emotions - like fear, shame and hopelessness - can mediate this disciplining process. Indeed, anti-war voices went directly against the national feeling rules which required being jubilant and proud for the on-going war. Given the will to totality of the State’s feelings rules and ideas about Karabakh, it possible to discuss this process as resistance to a dominant ideology. Hence, the power of authoritarianism must not be studied solely by looking at its direct repression, but also at its more diffused affective discipling through the inclusion of citizens within the State Apparatus. Finally, I also investigate the affective mechanisms that make non-conforming voices resilient and resistant to disciplining.
Methodologically, I use post-structural insights and conduct in-depth interviews with anti-war voices to understand the psychological and emotional pressure they faced. Ultimately, this should help understand how non-conforming voices can be pushed to conformity towards the dominant ideology not just through oppression by the State, but also through affective disciplining by common people and society.
