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Ambiguities of domination : politics, rhetoric, and symbols in contemporary Syria by Lisa Wedeen is a history book available to read on EtoBox.

What is Ambiguities of domination : politics, rhetoric, and symbols in contemporary Syria about?

In Syria, the image of President Hafiz al-Asad is everywhere. In newspapers, on television, and during orchestrated spectacles Asad is praised as the "father," the "gallant knight," even the country's "premier pharmacist." Yet most Syrians, including those who create the official rhetoric, do not believe its claims. Why would a regime spend scarce resources on a cult whose content is patently spurious?Wedeen concludes that Asad's cult acts as a disciplinary device, generating a politics of public dissimulation in which citizens act as if they revered their leader. By inundating daily life with tired symbolism, the regime exercises a subtle, yet effective form of power. The cult works to enforce obedience, induce complicity, isolate Syrians from one another, and set guidelines for public speech and behavior. Wedeen's ethnographic research demonstrates how Syrians recognize the disciplinary aspects of the cult and seek to undermine them. Provocative and original, Ambiguities of Domination is a significant contribution to comparative politics, political theory, and cultural studies.

Who reads Ambiguities of domination : politics, rhetoric, and symbols in contemporary Syria?

Author

Lisa Wedeen

Publisher

University Of Chicago Press

Published

1999

Language

EN

ISBN

9780226877884

Category

history

Subjects

Political Science, Social Science, Social Sciences

Rating

3.91 / 5 (119 ratings)

Updated

2026-03-13