University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology Anthropology 2021 Captivating State: Youthful Dreams and Uncertain Futures in Kurdistan Diana Hatchett University of Kentucky, [email protected] Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2021.198 Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Hatchett, Diana, "Captivating State: Youthful Dreams and Uncertain Futures in Kurdistan" (2021). Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology. 54. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/anthro_etds/54 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Anthropology at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained needed written permission statement(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine) which will be submitted to UKnowledge as Additional File. I hereby grant to The University of Kentucky and its agents the irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free license to archive and make accessible my work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I agree that the document mentioned above may be made available immediately for worldwide access unless an embargo applies. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of my work. I understand that I am free to register the copyright to my work. REVIEW, APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE The document mentioned above has been reviewed and accepted by the student’s advisor, on behalf of the advisory committee, and by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), on behalf of the program; we verify that this is the final, approved version of the student’s thesis including all changes required by the advisory committee. The undersigned agree to abide by the statements above. Diana Hatchett, Student Dr. Diane E. King, Major Professor Dr. Richard Jefferies, Director of Graduate Studies Title page CAPTIVATING STATE: YOUTHFUL DREAMS AND UNCERTAIN FUTURES IN KURDISTAN DISSERTATION A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky By Diana P. Hatchett Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Diane E. King, Associate Professor of Anthropology Lexington, Kentucky 2021 Copyright © Diana P. Hatchett 2021 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION CAPTIVATING STATE: YOUTHFUL DREAMS AND UNCERTAIN FUTURES IN KURDISTAN This dissertation examines how Kurdistani young people experience contests of values in a state shaped by sectarian political cultures during a time of trial and transition for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). The dissertation is based on approximately 20 months of ethnographic fieldwork (September 2015 - June 2017) spent among Kurdistani youth, broadly defined as 12 to 30 years old, in secondary schools and fitness centers. The ethnography presents interlocutors as co-theorists in conceptualizing the society and state in which they live, through the use of descriptive vignettes, transcripts of discussions, and lengthy interview quotes. Kurdistani interlocutors describe the push and pull of living suspended in a “captivating state” in two senses of the phrase: One sense refers to a state of feeling trapped for a variety of reasons, including displacement or lacking resources to emigrate. The other sense of “captivating state” refers to the Iraqi and Kurdistani states and the power they hold over the imaginations and affections of their citizens. Throughout the ethnography, Kurdistani people negotiate the ethics of staying or emigrating; debate descriptions of and prescriptions for state and civic order; and express doubts and hopes for uncertain futures. By attending to interlocutors’ assessments of the “state of things” and strategies for generating hope, the ethnography provides a view of ethical life in Kurdistan that centers young people and their moral striving at the intersections of “sectarianism,” the “state,” and “values.” KEYWORDS: Cultural Anthropology, Kurdistan, Iraq, Ethics, Youth, the State Diana P. Hatchett 05/07/2021 Date CAPTIVATING STATE: YOUTHFUL DREAMS AND UNCERTAIN FUTURES IN KURDISTAN By Diana P. Hatchett Dr. Diane E. King Director of Dissertation Dr. Richard Jefferies Director of Graduate Studies 05/07/2021 Date Acknowledgements This dissertation represents the culmination of many things, difficult and wonderful, and the dedication and generosity of many good people, without whose contributions I would not be where I am today. For the content of the dissertation, I take full responsibility, and all errors are my own. For its completion, I want to thank the following individuals and institutions. This ethnography represents the past decade of my life immersed in graduate study under the guidance of my adviser, Dr. Diane E. King. She believed in me and in this project from the beginning and has supported me professionally and personally throughout. Dr. King’s example in carrying out research in an incredibly challenging field site, her commitment to advancing knowledge, and her dedication to the people of Kurdistan and of Iraq have been a source of inspiration for me since I first met her. Relative to other parts of the world, few anthropologists have conducted extended fieldwork in Iraq throughout their career, and I am grateful to have worked with one of them. I am deeply thankful for all I have learned from her. Upon arriving in Kurdistan, officials at Salahaddin University-Erbil welcomed me, helped obtain my legal residency, and coordinated my stay on campus while looking for more permanent housing. Thank you especially to University President Dr. Ahmed Dezaye and to the Director of the International Office, Dr. Mohammed Azeez Saeed, for their hospitality. I also am grateful to the University of Kurdistan Hewlȇr for its generosity in extending a “Visiting Doctoral Researcher” position to me. Dr. Anwar Anaid, Dean of the School of Social Sciences, graciously provided an office space for me to work in when I visited the campus, where I enjoyed meeting faculty and students. iii Thank you to Dr. Sarbaz Najib Othman for inviting me to share my research in a faculty seminar series, in which I received valuable feedback. This project would not have been possible without the support and participation of numerous people in Kurdistan. I am indebted to the many schools and businesses who permitted me to conduct research on their premises and with their staff. These organizations and individuals appear throughout the dissertation under pseudonyms in order to protect their identities. I am deeply appreciative of the kindness and generosity offered to me by people like “Ashti” and “Sara” and many others. They gave me so much of their time and trusted me with their words. I refer to such individuals not as “informants” but as “interlocutors,” a term that reflects the collaborative and ongoing dialogue between researcher and research “subjects.” Many people graciously included me in conversations about their lives and country, and I center their observations and analysis as much as possible; they are insightful co-theorists observing themselves, their society, and their state. The friendships I enjoyed with my closest interlocutors mean more to me than perhaps they know. I think of them often, miss them, and wish them the best. I also wish to extend thanks to the many individuals not related to my research, but who offered their assistance and friendship during our 20 months in Kurdistan, including Jeremy, Lana, Janet, Joe, Andie, Kirsten, Nyi, Ife, and Almas. They helped us persevere during tough times, and our time in the field would not have been successful without their help and thoughtfulness. At the University of Kentucky, I received additional guidance from my committee members, Drs. Mark Whitaker, Kristin Monroe, and Phil Harling. It seems that hardly iv anyone does “grand theory” anymore in anthropology. I appreciate Mark Whitaker’s encouragement to not shy away from engaging with theorists or ideas that may now seem “dated” to some but are nonetheless central concerns of our discipline and remain productive ground for thinking about human experience. Kristin Monroe provided critical feedback that helped me sharpen my thinking at many turns and directed me toward rigorous theory and ethnography in anthropology of the Middle East. Phil Harling brought an historian’s perspective on the state and liberal self-governance to my project. During my graduate coursework, he also rather fortuitously suggested that I take up some physical activity to help manage stress. His advice led me to participate in, and later coach, indoor cycling group fitness classes, which became central to my fieldwork in Kurdistan. I also thank Dr. Jane Jensen for her contributions as an anthropologist of education and for her service as an outside reader for my dissertation. Also at the University of Kentucky, fellow writing group members Lydia Roll, Dr. Anahid Matossian, and Erfan Saidi Moqadam provided encouragement and helpful feedback on drafts. Their words and work, in addition to the fine work of other students in my department, helped me not feel “alone” in the ups and downs of a Ph.D. program, especially during the dissertation writing stage. I am also grateful to Dr. Katie Founds for her friendship, thoughtful conversation, and encouragement throughout graduate school. Research funding for this dissertation was provided through a Dissertation Enhancement Award with the Graduate School at the University of Kentucky.