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87MC Phd THESIS.Pdf Kent Academic Repository Full text document (pdf) Citation for published version Costello, Michael (2015) Law as Adjunct to Custom? Abkhaz custom and law in today's state-building and 'modernisation' - (Studied through dispute resolution). Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) thesis, University of Kent,. DOI Link to record in KAR https://kar.kent.ac.uk/47916/ Document Version UNSPECIFIED Copyright & reuse Content in the Kent Academic Repository is made available for research purposes. Unless otherwise stated all content is protected by copyright and in the absence of an open licence (eg Creative Commons), permissions for further reuse of content should be sought from the publisher, author or other copyright holder. Versions of research The version in the Kent Academic Repository may differ from the final published version. Users are advised to check http://kar.kent.ac.uk for the status of the paper. Users should always cite the published version of record. Enquiries For any further enquiries regarding the licence status of this document, please contact: [email protected] If you believe this document infringes copyright then please contact the KAR admin team with the take-down information provided at http://kar.kent.ac.uk/contact.html LAW AS ADJUNCT TO CUSTOM? Abkhaz custom and law in today’s state-building and ‘modernisation’ - (Studied through dispute resolution) DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND CONSERVATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KENT FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY 12 FEBRUARY 2015 By Michael Costello Examiners: Professor Michael Fischer Associate Professor Jacob Rigi Supervisor: Lecturer Glenn Bowman 1 LAW AS ADJUNCT TO CUSTOM? The relationship between Abkhaz custom and law in today’s state-building and ‘modernisation’ - (Studied through dispute resolution) Abstract The setting for research is Abkhazia a small country south of the Caucasus Mountains and bordering Europe and the Near East. The Abkhaz hold onto custom – apswara – to make of state law an adjunct to custom as the state strives to strengthen its powers to ‘modernise’ along capitalist lines. This institution of a parallel-cum-interwoven and oppositional existence of practices and the laws questions the relationship of the two in a novel way. The bases of apswara are its concepts of communality and fairness. Profound transformations have followed the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the breakaway from and subsequent war with Georgia, none of which have brought the bright prospects that were hoped-for with independence. The element of hope in post-Soviet nostalgia provides pointers to what the Abkhaz seek to enact for their future, to decide the course of change that entertains the possibility of a non-capitalist modernisation route and a customary state. Apswara is founded on the direct participatory democracy of non-state regulation. It draws members of all ethnicities into the generation of nationalist self-awareness that transcends ethnicity and religions, and forms around sacred shrines and decisions taken by popular assemblies. It has topical significance for other societies where custom and law co-habit through contestation, and questions some widely accepted theories about the relationship of the two, as well as problematising anthropological concepts of ‘legal pluralism’ and post-Sovietics. The study suggests new topics for research. 2 I hereby declare that this dissertation is the result of my own fieldwork and reflection under the supervision of Dr. Glenn Bowman, Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the School of Anthropology and Conservation of the University of Kent. ________________________________ Michael Costello 15 February, 2015 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Introduction ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 9 1.1 Field delimitations – apsuara and apsua tsas ÉÉÉÉ.. 14 1.1.1 Journey in, through and out ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 18 1.1.2 The policeman ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 22 1.1.3 Driven to court – no alternatives ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 24 1.1.4 Both Custom and Law ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 26 1.2 Abkhazia, the Abkhaz and Abkhazians ÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 27 1.2.1 Abkhazia ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 33 1.2.2 Legacies of the past ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 37 1.2.3 Demographic changes ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 42 Chapter 2 Literature review ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 48 2.1 Custom, law and the state ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 49 2.2 Definitions........................................................................... 52 Bohannan, Gluckman, Diamond ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 62 2.4 Legal pluralism ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 73 2.4.1 Restorative justice ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ 81 2.5 The ethnography of Abkhazia ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 83 2.5.1 Writing in “the ethnographic past tense”ÉÉÉÉ. 86 2.6 Post- Soviet ethnography and ‘transitologyÕÉÉÉÉÉ 88 Chapter 3 Methodology ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ... 97 3.1 Setting out ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 100 3.2 Theory ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 100 3.3 Methods ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 103 3.3.1 Observation ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 103 3.3.2 Interviewing ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 104 3.3.3 Analysis of texts ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 104 3.4 Objectives ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ... 104 3.5 Some General Points on Methods ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 104 3.6 Questions ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 108 3.7 Advocacy and participant Observation ÉÉÉÉÉÉ... 109 Chapter 4 Evidential cases ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 112 4.1 What law? Adoption outside the law ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. .114 4.2 The law as instrument of custom – a village idyll, harmony and feud? ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ118 4.2.1 Feud, reconciliation ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 119 4 4.3 Filicide – breaking the law? ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 126 4.4 Mediation – extra-legal settlement - legal agencies connive ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 128 4.4.1 Judge turns to custom after knifing ÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 128 4.4.2 Honour ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 130 4.4.3 Honour and dignity – the watchman and the thief... 131 4.5 Custom evolving ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ 133 4.5.1 Shaming – woman takes son to local assembly – obshchina, skhod ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ 133 4.5.2 Son tames father ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 139 4.5.3 Changing customs ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 140 4.6 Resort to the law and to custom? ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ 143 4.6.1 Child run over – qualified use of law as an adjunct ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ 143 4.6.2 Attempts on president’s life - shame, suicide – law versus kinship ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 145 4.7 Defying the law in marriage ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ 152 4.7.1 Abductions and arranged marriage ÉÉÉÉÉÉ 153 4.7.2 Inheriting a house ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 157 4.8 Neither custom nor law ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ... 160 4.8.1 Kin outweighs the judge – the axe woman ÉÉÉ 160 4.8.2 Cultural defence – grey area ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 162 4.9 Resume of elements of customary practices ÉÉÉÉ. 167 Chapter 5 Distortions, contradictions, changing times ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ174 5.1 What custom cannot tackle today ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...174 5.1.1 Corruption ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...175 5.1.2 Witchcraft ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 177 5.1.3 Powerless to tackle changes ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 180 5.1.4 Debts and insults ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.181 5.1.5 Lineage pressures – drunken driver gets off Scott free ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ182 5.1.6 Big men? Gangsters? - a society of tensions ÉÉ182 5.1.7 Practical challenges to values of apswara ÉÉÉ..184 5.2 Outside of custom and law -Zuleika’s case ÉÉÉÉÉ185 5.2.1 An internal “Other”? ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 190 5.2.2 Distance ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..191 Chapter 6 Nationalist modernisation ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ192 6.1 Abkhaz nationalist thought, origins ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ...196 6.1.1 The Soviet ethnographic setting ÉÉÉ... .205 6.1.2 Abkhaz nationalism and ethnos theory ÉÉÉÉ.. 207 5 6.2 Ethnicity or citizenship- Abkhaz or Abkhazian? ÉÉ..212 6.2.1 Ethnic transition and slippage ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 218 Chapter 7 Shrine-sharing a single belief system for different religions ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 221 7.1 Unanimity principle – shrines ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ... 231 7.2 More on unanimityÉ ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 238 7.2.1 ContradictionsÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ244 Chapter 8 What now – where to start? ÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 246 8.1 “Failure of the Soviet Union?” and “NostalgiaÓÉÉÉ 246 8.2 Nostalgia - phantom of the past or the present ÉÉÉÉ 247 8.2.1 Nostalgia abstracted ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 248 8.2.2 A political agenda or ideology ÉÉÉÉÉ. 253 8.2.3 Post-Soviet nostalgia for the present ÉÉÉ 255 8.2.4 Present and future ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ 257 8.3 Transition or transformation? ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..... 258 8.4 Nationalist modernisation – capitalism? ÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 262 Chapter 9 State building ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 266 9.1 What kind of state ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 266 9.1.1 Head of state’s perceptions ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 269 9.2 Moral economy and trust ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ.. 274 Chapter 10 Alternatives for the future ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 282 10.1 A customary state? ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 286 10.2 Conclusions ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. 290 10.2.1 What found new - openings for further research 292 Bibliography 300 Appendix 1 Comrades’ Courts 321 Appendix 2 Constitution and Assemblies 322 Appendix 3 Council of Shrine Keepers 324 6 7 Acknowledgements I express a particular gratitude to Dr Peter Parkes, who put me on the road to research on the Abkhaz from undergraduate days. He was my first supervisor for this dissertation and was followed by Professor Roger Just and then Senior Lecturer Glenn Bowman, with the assistance of Dr Matt Hodges and Dr Melissa Demian of the University of Kent. My induction into Abkhazia owes a lot to the help of Professor George Hewitt of London University and his Abkhaz colleague Dr Vyacheslav Chirikba of the universities of Leiden and Abkhazia, who gave me valuable contacts in the field. Outstanding among these was Professor Vasilii Avidzba, director of the D. Gulia Institute for Research and the Study of Humanities in Sukhum, the members of its departments and the library staff, all of whom were totally approachable. Thanks go to many other academics in Abkhazia, including Dr. Mira Konstantinovna Khotelashvili (Inal-ipa) who was invaluable for details on historian and ethnologist Professor Shalva Inal-ipa (deceased) and for access to his papers. Nothing would have been possible without the help of the Eleanora Kohonia- Anzor Chepia family, their three children, Abas, Des and Kan and other kin and friends, who allowed me to stay in their homes in town and villages. I am similarly indebted, to Dr Fatima and Dr Beslan Kamkiia for stays in their homes and meeting their family and neighbours.
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