Putin's Pastorate: Post-structuralism in Post-Soviet Russia. (May 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gaufman, Elizaveta
• Is Part Of: Alternatives. Volume 42:Number 2(2017:May)
• Page Start: 74
• Page End: 90
• Publication Date: 2017-05
• Subjects: Russia -- Foucault -- foreign policy -- authoritarianism -- gender; Globalization -- Periodicals; Political science -- Periodicals; Sociology -- Periodicals; 306.2
• DOI: 10.1177/0304375417745153
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0304-3754

Abstract

In this article, I argue that Foucauldian concept of pastorate is an appropriate tool to analyze power relations in authoritarian contexts, as it takes into consideration different ways authoritarian system manifests itself. Following Carrette, this article proposed translation of pastorate through four indicators: (1) references to transborder sovereignty, (2) securitization discourse, (3) direct involvement, and (4) sexualization of the figure of the pastor. Most importantly for International Relations (IR), pastorate has dramatic implications for a state's foreign policy. At the same time, the concept of pastorate shows how post-structuralism is embedded with a range of relevant themes in international studies that pertain to security, gender, and overlap of domestic and foreign policy.