Exhibitionist violence
Explaining the display of war crimes in Karabakh
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35295/osls.iisl.2468Keywords:
Anthropology of war, exhibitionist violence, symbolic communication, digital propaganda, (extra-lethal) humiliation, identity politics, power relationships, KarabakhAbstract
This paper examines the logic of exhibitionist violence in the context of the Karabakh conflict, focusing on the deliberate filming and dissemination of war crimes. It introduces the concept of wartime exhibitionist violence — the strategic use of violent imagery to demoralize adversaries, consolidate in-group cohesion, and influence global narratives. Drawing on anthropology of war and media studies, the analysis situates this practice within broader frameworks of symbolic communication, psychological warfare, and digital propaganda. Empirical material includes verified video evidence from the conflict and qualitative interviews, revealing how perpetrators employ media as both weapon and performance. The paper engages with the work of Lee Ann Fujii, Randall Collins, and Roger Gould to explain the performative and communicative dimensions of such acts. Ultimately, the study underscores the need to view exhibitionist violence not as senseless brutality, but as an intentional, politically charged strategy with deep cultural and political impacts.
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