Authoritarianism, Neoliberalism, and the Politics of Rebuilding Public Space

• In Event: Graduate Student Research Lightning Round: Authoritarian Regimes, Contested Spaces

Abstract

Authoritarian regimes covertly discipline citizens through redeveloping public space, while citizens react to these strategies by either internalizing them or protesting. To illustrate this feedback loop, I bring to light narratives surrounding Moscow’s reconstruction projects of 1993-1999 (after the coup and pre-Putin). I propose a novel theoretical framework that dissects these narratives in two dimensions: through the practices of authoritarian neoliberalism (preemptive, technocratizing, repressive), and the triad of conceived, perceived, and lived space. I will plot the results on a map to facilitate research across disciplines, provide a framework for empirical examination of authoritarian practices, and give voice to average citizens living under authoritarianism.

Author

• Elena Borzenkova, University of Illinois at Chicago