article

Darker than midnight: fear, vulnerability, and terror making in urban Burma (Myanmar)

American ethnologist30 (1) • Published In 2003 • Pages: 5-21

By: Skidmore, Monique.

Abstract
This is an ethnography of fear and terror as practiced by the Burmese military state in its efforts to control its citizenry. The author shows how the regime's violent response to a popular democratic uprising in 1988 had a numbing effect on the people of Burma, forcing their anger and emotions deep within themselves. The author gauges her own emotions and fears doing fieldwork under such repressive conditions and the ethical quandary she faces talking about politics with her informants. She discusses how under the state's constant surveillance and military police presence since the 1960s,has created a deep distrust of state institutions and contributed to an overall sense of vulnerability that has undermined all social interactions. The author regards the people's silence as not a sign of passivity but as the 'work' of survival.
Subjects
Observation in research
Drives and emotions
Adjustment processes
Cultural goals
Public opinion
Political movements
Offenses against the state
Auxiliary corps
Wartime adjustments
culture
Burmans
HRAF PubDate
2012
Region
Asia
Sub Region
Southeast Asia
Document Type
article
Evaluation
Creator Type
Anthropologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Ian Skoggard; 2011
Field Date
1996-1997
Coverage Date
1962-1997
Coverage Place
Rangoon and Mandalay, Burma
Notes
Monique Skidmore
Includes bibliographical references (p.19-21)
LCCN
74644326
LCSH
Burma--Social life and customs