Legacies of violence 3

On Barbarism

Concept of Secondary Primitivism

  • Populations at the periphery of state control.

  • Deliberately designed social structures and routines to avoid state incorporation.

  • Termed 'barbarians by design' by Scott (2009).

The Code of Balentia

  • Examines the ethos of a dissident, nonstate people in Barbargia.

  • Not remnants of a bygone era but conscious resistance against state formation.

  • Establishes alternative systems of social, economic, and political organization.

  • Legal systems based on self-help, common-property resource management, and individual autonomy.

  • Contributes to a symbolic boundary around the community.

Historical Context of Violence

  • Responses to political and ecological marginalization.

  • Northern Sardinia's population maintains non-legible spaces.

  • Includes concepts like vendetta and hospitality to reinforce community cohesion.

Myths about Highland Sardinians

  • Violence perpetuated as part of the culture, but misconceptions abound.

  • The perception of highland societies as dangerous often contrasts with their communal values.

  • Historical contexts shape perceptions of violence; stereotypes persist.

Normative Aspects of Violence

  • The codice barbaricino governs behavior through coercive norms focused on violent action.

  • Blood feuds as a communal practice rather than individual.

  • Violence integral to social order, not necessarily indicative of irrationality.

Norms and Evolution of Honor Systems

  • Honor systems shaped by experiences in agrarian societies.

  • Coercive force was normative for agrarian societies but disruptive for modern industrial society.

  • Decline in personal use of violence with the rise of state sovereignty.

Modernity and Changing Values

  • Modern states require self-discipline from their citizens.

  • Transformation from communal to individualistic values.

  • The rise of organic solidarity contrasts with traditional agrarian norms.

Urban vs. Rural Dynamics

  • The emerging dichotomy between urban moralities and rural customs.

  • Urban disdain for rural traditions complicates relationships.

  • Highland Sardinians regarded as both proud carriers of tradition and backward figures.

Balentia and its Social Context

  • The balente as a bearer of traditional values, distinctly male-oriented.

  • The embodied ethos of pastoralism, including aggressive masculinity and social networks.

  • Challenges facing modern shepherds in maintaining cultural identity.

  • Alcohol use and social behaviors common among contemporary shepherds.

Economic Necessities and Social Structures

  • Livelihoods dependent on pastoral production, but increasingly isolated from broader society.

  • Livestock rustling as a necessary social contradiction reflecting distrust.

  • Necessity of alliances among villages to enforce reciprocal support systems.

Authority and Anti-Statism

  • Historical distrust toward external authorities, reinforcing local self-governance.

  • Police viewed as unfamiliar with local customs, heightening tension.

  • Self-help and adherence to customary law prevail over state intervention.

The Legacy of Resistance

  • Past experiences influence local expectations of authority.

  • Code of balentia as a legacy of historical adaptation to violence and state evasion.

  • Modern-day shepherds struggling against evolving societal norms while preserving their traditions.