Glossary:
victim complex
Language: English
The Russian sociologist Gudkov degfines the victim complex as a characteristic feature of Russians.
For Gudkov the victim complex is a mechanism that allows man to compensate for a lack of self-respect and self-esteem, an indicator of a gratification deficit. It justifies general fatigue as the result of an authority’s coercion of man into action and prevents man from turning plans into action. Indeed, it exempts the victim from action; it is a defence against an active Other that becomes the enemy, because it may coerce the victim into action
Gudkov, Lev (2004), ‘Kompleks “zhertvy”’ [The Victim Complex], in Negativnaia identichnost’ [Negative Identity], pp. 83-120 Moscow: NLO, 2004.
Posted by Birgit Beumers on 15 Jan 2008 •
Comments added:
This is an interesting reference. However, how does ‘victim complex’ relate to the diasporic experience in general, or to that of Russian migrants and diasporic subjects, I wonder?
Comment posted by Daniela Berghahn on 16 Jan 2008 around 10pm
Comments added:
The victim complex is a useful tool, at least in my opinion, to explore issue of self-perception and perception by others in cinema. I use this approach in the chapter “Through the other lens? Russians on the global screen,” which is inclided in the volume edited by Stephen Hutchings, entitled Screening Intercultural Dialogue, forthcoming in May 2008 and listed in the books section.
Comment posted by Birgit Beumers on 17 Jan 2008 around 4pm
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