In this fourth episode of This Authoritarian Life we focus on the destructive dimension of contemporary politics. Looking at the case of Israel and its latest campaign in Gaza, psychoanalyst Iris Hefets reflects on the post-1967 history of Israel as the gradual suspension of the superego and the displacement of internal aggression on Gaza, which, building on Freud, she describes as Israel’s ‘Id’. In turn, author Richard Seymour, drawing on his latest book Disaster Nationalism, sees cycles of violence as being rooted in capitalist and planetary crises, which fuel feelings of shame and weakness. He argues that violence offers an effective, if temporary panacea for suppressing these destabilizing psychic forces.

How does arachnophobia help shine light on the destructive side of contemporary politics? How is it possible to exit increasingly destructive cycles of violence? And how can a recognition of vulnerability and mutual belonging help overcome aggression?

🎧 To find out, tune into this fourth episode of This Authoritarian Life, “The Psychic Life of Authoritarianism’’, with Kristóf Szombati and Erdem Evren!

Send us a text message

Follow us on Instagram: @this_authoritarian_life
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisauthoritarianlife

Pursuing our exploration of the ‘Origins’ of authoritarianism, in this third episode of This Authoritarian Life we will continue to focus on the role of the body in authoritarian politics. More specifically, we will turn our attention to the female body, which functions as an object of control and a site of resistance, and look more closely at the example of the Islamic Republic of Iran, where tensions over the policy of mandatory veiling have surfaced in a violent manner in the past years. Our guests, sociologist Firoozeh Farvardin and artist Yasaman Pishvaei, recount their experiences of growing up as young women in Iran; reflect on the tensions surrounding female identity, family and community; analyze the Jina revolution of 2022; and offer their own hopeful view on the struggle for female emancipation.

In what sense is veiling about infinitely more than policing how one should dress in public? How did men end up joining women’s emancipatory struggles? What role did mutual aid among citizens play in the outbreak of the revolution and what does it mean for the future of Iran?

🎧 To find out, tune into this third episode of This Authoritarian Life with Kristóf Szombati and Erdem Evren!

More about our guests' work:
Yasaman Pishvaei's Fugitive Rhythms of Uprising:
https://yasapi.com/#fugitiverhythm
You can watch her audio-visual response to the revolution, The Womb, here:
https://youtu.be/P_tE0Ct9EV4?feature=shared
Firoozeh Farvardin's articles: 
https://irgac.org/people/firoozeh-farvardin/

Send us a text message

Follow us on Instagram: @this_authoritarian_life
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisauthoritarianlife

Resentment may lay dormant for decades, before suddenly erupting and inundating public life. In this second episode of This Authoritarian Life, we continue to explore the ‘Origins’ of authoritarianism by asking how the past can exercise a decisive influence in and over the present. We do this by focusing on the case of East Germany, where guests 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐝𝐞 and 𝐄𝐥𝐬𝐤𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐝 have conducted research and staged artistic performances.

How does the experience of a curtailed revolution inscribe itself into the human body? How does it play into East Germans’ overwhelming sense of political abandonment? And how has the far right taken advantage of all this? 

🎧 To find out, tune into the second episode of This Authoritarian Life with Kristóf Szombati and Erdem Evren.

More about our guests' work:
Elske Rosenfeld's Archive of gestures:
www.archiveofgestures.net
Anna Stiede's Anna Medea performances:
https://annastiede.com/ANNAMEDEA-2024

Send us a text message

Follow us on Instagram: @this_authoritarian_life
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisauthoritarianlife

What drives ordinary people to espouse authoritarian figures? Join us, Kristóf Szombati and Erdem Evren, as we unravel this question through our personal journeys and anthropological studies in Hungary and Turkey. We kick off our new podcast by dissecting the spatial origins of right-wing authoritarianism, focusing on rural Hungary from 2006 onwards. 

The countryside has often been seen as a space where politics flows to, but does not grow out of. When it comes to the authoritarian right, this could not be further from the truth. Kristóf shares his eye-opening experiences with the Hungarian Guard, a far-right paramilitary group that grew in influence by exploiting local grievances and the perceived void left by the state.

We also explore the socio-economic turbulence that came with Hungary's EU accession and how it reshaped rural communities in wine-making regions. We discuss the struggles these communities faced, from battling subsidized European goods to feeling overlooked by left-liberal elites. Delve into the tensions that erupted in a wine-making village in the period of the Great Recession, with acts of grape theft and paramilitary marches painting a vivid picture of life under authoritarian influence. 

The rise of the far-right Jobbik party, fueled by resentment towards Roma communities and a promise to restore order in the countryside, is pivotal to understanding this shift. But of perhaps even greater importance is how Viktor Orbán's Fidesz managed to co-opt Jobbik’s platform, presenting a more palatable vision focused on the traditional work ethic and the creation of new jobs. Our discussion also covers how Fidesz's policies and new far-right formations continue to shape Hungary's political landscape. 

Special thanks to our collaborators at the International Research Group on Authoritarianism and Counter-Strategies (IRGAC) and for the indispensable support from the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation. Tune in for a gripping exploration of the human stories that define authoritarian politics.

Send us a text message

Follow us on Instagram: @this_authoritarian_life
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisauthoritarianlife