Roots of Haitian Despotism

by Robert Fatton Jr.

In his 2002 Haiti's Predatory Republic, Fatton (government and foreign affairs, U. of Virginia) described the brief ascendancy and crisis of Jean-Bertrand Aristide's Lavalas movement after the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1986. Here he delves deeper into the social origins of Haitian despotism and why the country since its inception has had a persistent history of dictatorial regimes lording it over an exploited majority. The key is habitus, he says, a complicated repertoire of practices, attitudes, and behavior grounded in the material foundation of society. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

268 pages, Hardcover

First published July 30, 2007