Self-spoliation and forms of resistance in total institutions: an exploration of time and space in an Albanian communist regime internment camp
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Survivors of Albanian communist internment camps developed community bonds and a paradoxical attachment to suffering sites. These strategies fostered resilience and identity against totalitarian repression.
Area Of Science
- Social Psychology
- Historical Studies
- Sociology
Background
- Albanian communist regime (1944-1985) utilized internment camps as instruments of political repression.
- These total institutions aimed to obliterate individual identity through isolation and control, mirroring the Soviet Gulag system.
Purpose Of The Study
- To investigate survival strategies of former internees in Albanian camps.
- To explore resistance to the totalitarian obliteration of time and space.
- To understand the role of community and place attachment in psychological resilience.
Main Methods
- In-depth interviews with former internees.
- Qualitative analysis of survivor narratives.
- Examination of historical context of Albanian internment camps.
Main Results
- Former internees employed multifaceted strategies, including strong community relationships and mutual aid, to resist oppression.
- A paradoxical reverence for the sites of suffering emerged, fostering collective psychological resistance.
- Solidarity and connection to these locations aided in reconstructing emotional integrity and personal identity.
Conclusions
- Communal ties and attachment to sites of affliction were crucial for survival and identity formation.
- Survivor narratives challenge traditional views of total institutions by highlighting active memory reconstruction and resilience.
- The study underscores the strength of the human spirit in extreme contexts, demonstrating resistance through solidarity and place.
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