State and life in Cuba

Based on our collective ethnography of Cuba’s socialist system for the provision of state-subsidised food, this article explores manners in which the state weaves itself into the fabric of people’s everyday lives in state-socialist society. Instituted by Cuba’s revolutionary government in the early 1960s, Cuba’s ‘state system for provisioning’ is still today the backbone of household subsistence, propelling individuals into direct daily relations with the state via its neighbourhood-level network of stores that distribute food catering to citizens’ ‘basic needs’. Our ethnography brings together a series of studies conducted by the members of our team in different parts of Havana, charting the most salient aspects of people’s interaction with the state in this alimentary context. We argue that the state becomes pervasive in people’s daily lives not just because it is present in so much of it, but also as the basic normative premise on which people interpret and evaluate everyday comportments in the interactions food provisioning involves. Life in state socialism involves the constant and intricate comparison of its own realities against the normative ideals the state purports to institute. These ‘vernacular comparisons’ between life and state, as we call them, are the ‘local knowledge’ of state socialism in Cuba. A partir de nuestra etnografía colectiva del sistema del abastecimiento de alimentos subsidiados por el Estado cubano este artículo explora las formas en las que el estado se imbrica en el tejido de la vida cotidiana de las personas en el socialismo de estado. Instituido por el gobierno revolucionario cubano a principios de la década de 1960, el ‘sistema estatal de abastecimiento’ de Cuba es todavía hoy la espina dorsal de la subsistencia de los hogares, el cual impele a los individuos a establecer una relación cotidiana y directa con el estado a través de la red de establecimientos comerciales a nivel de barrio que distribuyen alimentos de acuerdo con las “necesidades básicas” de los ciudadanos. Nuestra etnografía reúne una serie de estudios llevados a cabo por los miembros de nuestro equipo en diferentes partes de La Habana, describiendo los aspectos más significativos de la interacción entre las personas y el estado en este contexto alimentario. Argumentamos que el estado se vuelve ubicuo en la vida cotidiana de las personas no sólo por estar presente en numerosos aspectos de la misma, sino también por ser el supuesto básico y normativo con el que la gente interpreta y evalúa sus comportamientos en las interacciones cotidianas relacionadas con el abastecimiento alimentario. La vida en el socialismo de estado involucra una constante e intrincada comparación entre los ideales normativos que el estado pretende institucionalizar y sus realidades. Estas ‘comparaciones vernáculas’ entre vida y estado, como las llamamos, son el ‘conocimiento local’ del socialismo de estado en Cuba. S’appuyant sur une ethnographie collective du système socialiste cubain en matière d’approvisionnement de nourriture subventionné par l'État, cet article étudie la manière dont l'État s'immisce dans la vie quotidienne des gens, dans une société socialiste. Instauré à Cuba au début des années 1960 par le gouvernement révolutionnaire, le « système étatique d'approvisionnement » constitue encore aujourd’hui l'épine dorsale de la subsistance des foyers, et pousse les individus à entretenir des relations quotidiennes directes avec l'État à travers son réseau de magasins de quartier, qui distribuent des aliments correspondant aux « besoins vitaux » des citoyens. Nos travaux ethnographiques réunissent une série d'études, menées par les membres de notre équipe dans différents secteurs de La Havane, mettant en évidence les aspects les plus saillants de l'interaction entre les individus et l'État dans le domaine de l’alimentation. Nous soutenons que l'État pénètre dans la vie quotidienne des gens, non seulement parce qu'il y est presque omniprésent, mais aussi comme une prémisse normative fondamentale à partir de laquelle on interprète et évalue les comportements quotidiens dans les interactions faisant partie de l'approvisionnement alimentaire. La vie sous le socialisme étatique implique une comparaison complexe et constante entre ses propres réalités et les idéaux normatifs que l'État prétend instaurer. Ce que nous appelons les « comparaisons vernaculaires » entre la vie et l'État composent la « connaissance locale » du socialisme étatique à Cuba. Much of the by now well-established anthropological literature on the State has focused on questions of what one might call critical ontology. What is the state (Abrams 1988; Mitchell 1991)? Does it exist is it and is its is that studies conducted in state-socialist with what in a different and call the of to the of and and the that the state present in everyday in the state itself into people’s so as to of and in the state its in people’s most the of it to a on people’s its as of state in which the purports to itself in on of the most anthropological is not what the state the state is as as it people to that it is but of what it is to in the of a to questions as our in this article we the state as a one and to the state for people in the state-socialist of Cuba. the between and in we on of daily life in which this is in a the everyday of the ‘state system of estatal de in which of state-subsidised food are to the on a what we the and of this interaction in to the in which the with of this for the of this article we as the the of the and becomes not just a pervasive of people’s but a of that the basic which life in Cuba is we its in the for the daily provision of food for the state the of in the most against which its daily interactions with as as the interactions between people are we in of different aspects of the state system for food this of the state to the against which life is is most the people the of with the normative that the state itself of the state to itself as a premise of everyday of ‘vernacular as we call it, is a in which the state becomes the on which life is in a state-socialist as Cuba. Our in a of the in people’s daily lives by that the system of food provisioning the of the in which the for household are and the state stores which the are we the state system of food in a of in the we the in which between state and realities are into the fabric of people’s everyday interactions with the state system of food the of which interactions are A on the and of our the is the of a between which of that as of on the in the of in in Our team and of by on the of the of in everyday life in socialist to a of the state system of provisioning we to the the of of the different in it state as as the different it state stores and state of our team for charting one of the the in the of the a focused on the of the interactions between and as between them, and to the of a state with aspects of the conducted and in own of Havana, with own of the as of the also of the in the of the of our of the of and and we in to them, between them, and to the of our the of our and the of our in the of Cuba of and with on of on the to the revolutionary of in 1960 the to in Cuba as to and by the the on food and to Cuba. of the on the revolutionary the for the of to the of that to on the of to to the and of to the this system of state-subsidised food and daily the state the for the of de de to as la to in of this has the early to on a and of state-subsidised as we in a and of la in the 1960s, and the the backbone of household in Cuba the by the of the of the and to and of on the present the of These state the in in which is to the and to the of as as in the in and the of the in a of of everyday in Cuba of and a of that as of what the for the of the the of everyday has in with the of the the and the of the the and of the on the has in the the of basic as state it a of as as and present the for a of and this for might that the has a in to a in which its to are by Cuba’s which has and of also the system still of basic for most a in people’s daily and the of the a of interaction with what to and of as and is a for the state itself into people’s daily in lives in its in this the is to a of of life in state-socialist Cuba the system the as the most of the state into people’s as most with it on everyday for the of in the of the and the of by the state to by the and which is not the and the by the to the and for a the of the to the people much in the los on the by we are we not to of in to to to we the the of the on are we to the the because are the of the to as as it because to it We as as not because to but because not and so that to and it for the as of what has the of of the in which state for people in socialist in the the to in which the state by people’s into for the is but one of the in which in Cuba the revolutionary of people that the of daily with that of the for the of food and basic is for that so of the one with in Cuba are with daily in the is its in la is the the of the of and life the of and its with that of the state as the of the is a daily that itself into the fabric of We of daily between and state in to the between the the one the of people’s daily of the the of food a which the state itself into the most of is most the with the the state in the are into the in the in and and and by the into the in this has the of a it is that are just as of the between on the and on the a to the as the the state la in this also for the it one might to on a to the and also a for son los are the for the and the that are the of in the one of with so to so that in the so not in the but the on the the in a so that it just in to and by the is a of between the of the and the state of the of daily by and by the state with the is the of de la de los for the of which has the of the and is by the on its to it because what might and and a for and for is on the of the which is not the the with which its to it as of the in its the of the members of the the with of and that are on the by that to that and interactions with the the to as a of the the as as on a in this as a of for the one of the as in one it the to which it which it in of as a to itself into the of the the as in its own a the its the the a for the into the of of the into life in the as by and the has this of also for the of and that the to as the of the between the and the it is with we the of by the state of the the state into the as the are as the A in the the state of the has to with the of on which the system is and which its the of to as a of that is for as a the between people and the the not just but also and as by the state to for the ‘basic of its is in which the that the are as much the as are the is also in the people to to the in which is with of not in a to the the is in with as to are and no one no to most the que which as this the state-subsidised of the also as of the into the of the state, with the state as of that in a are parts of the people to the of the state and the to in is one the and its interactions with the to the of the the state with the which members on everyday we the is a in which and that are with into a and as of the of the the we this with to a that in a of by state and are of a network of state with and that the state to of the of basic that are to basic of this revolutionary is in the of the state which in to the stores and so to the that the by is are in basic of different of a of are a for and the which the the on which the are for the as as the in which are itself is in a state of and with of what in a the of the in is in of in the on the a that La the of to the so that the are so with own the to the de La Habana, the in which the are by the state the is as the much as the it it is also a in which the of relations the of the state into the is in the of of the the the on a that in Cuba it is not to the in with of the as the by of the in this to questions of the this the of the of the of a a of the also the the with as of daily it is to that the is as a of everyday a to on just the of the is by the to it as a the by for the on the a with a and on a on the most on the to it is that the is but for the so to to the of the as of the also to this a people in the to and to and now in the has in of this for and is by in the one it, has in this for so that with the and a but has of to with We to the of the as state and we the in which in the relations in the as and this to with to that in to with the of the that is to for the of to by the of the of as a of in for the between the for the the of the with in the own on the to to the but people that and just the and a and to that in the as a between the of the with of its and the of the with its of it is to also that the in as is also with the on one in the of in which the and on the of a state a to the the so in the of the but the still the the of is for and a to the are the as the so now to the de the state for between state and the on the and as a in the life of the and people the of the the also to the state system which its and the of a that the of the state and the of the in the of the we a between the the state in the of everyday interactions between the and as the one in which the as of the the normative of the state as a of life and a direct and of of a between state and and the state of to the in the in which we the the of in and with the most of people’s daily interaction with the is a of that the the and of to of the which are are to the people also to that between the and the so to is to is most in the interactions between and the that as it, to of the state to to with no and of this is a as one of it are and in in to on of with of the the that the is in just a of a the a and on with that as it the that of is to is by the of the own with food for in one se but now just to that the are with also in of our which focused on the of between and in a of on the of the a of as as is in the people the the the to of one of the people for them, and the the of the state to to to in the and are them, because not on of it to the because a and to what with basic between and are of the of interactions the of and and of the of against and so on What we on is the in which and of the socialist state, as a normative against which people and the of the as we by the the state people’s daily interactions with the in the of a premise in the in which interactions the of as we just interactions the as as by in our to as a on the of that are in the daily of a the to with the of one with to of of to as on of as we are to the on this the the the in the of the the to the has in of the for a of and the to the together on the to the that the is a and the and a is in a in a in the a also and Our is in the that the of the as the with to which the of the are that the the of the and are to the and as the of the is to of the that the to the is a that the to which on and to to a of that a that is for a and to of daily life is that to on so for a is as the that the also to a the is with has a of own to and the for is that the the of the that the that to the of the is the that the that a of the is also the the is that the are the of the the with just as the is to the to to it, this is in its in the that the of to as of the as we that are to in to the so is as we to the with and own is that the to which is as is on of the we with the to the of the of the against the realities of daily life that to and a of of daily life in Cuba the people to for the people in this to as that of the of government the is most to to the in which individuals of is what is to life in Cuba is to so the is by and it might the and as to of la we might is the of and y as it is also in Cuba. of what the between and we present a the by in a in a the of the on the of a are by of to the daily of the stores in the to with a to to to the on in for a as a of as of the of the of the as between the of the and the the in the of in for the the as a of the of the in the of the for of is to the to by has for and are is with the to them, by of one are in because to the of it, the and the is with between the of the is to in for the in for a in to that of the as it the to of the to the of the is to of the for own much as the the realities of this and are as it in as and between the brings the it, and a of for la and for the the the it that so it it, that the and people with a of the what but as as what a with and because of with now to what with in the is to to so to that to with what no just people because no A These argue with to to the of but one is for in and are of a on the to it is that the is not to the as as it is are the on it, and what we is a of and not to on of but to of that the of the is as as is is on of with the what the is to to the in the and a the by into the realities that the has that to the of and is as own to and the that might to the to with the are in which to the as a of for what is not are that has that the is to and to with with to the normative of the the to and the of is people’s daily with the in of in which own and by it to the of and that the and by the between and socialist and realities of as it of people’s in this we to of the between the and the that between the the people are in is much of it is and in much as and to as it the between and of of ‘vernacular as we call them, is what daily life in state-socialist is as the state as to of comparison to in the most a in which the state itself becomes present in the fabric of people’s our of the state as a premise of the the socialist of the we now to the with of a of and of one of the of These are of the state, with the of on the as as with by members of the the different of our of the to ethnography of the state as the are to the as we the as of the state as one of its with its as its is it is by members of the direct and to its and in as of the state with of its and the es del and one to it and own are are and a but to because the one is are by the state to the between and and the of in so that are no the premise for that the this of also in the that the state to with the that members of the to as the the of the of to the to which this the so the with to the of people as with ‘basic on which the is itself in the of the the as for on the one we the in of and ‘basic that are to to of the we as of and and in Cuba to a a that a to in a state, as in the of for to in the is for the it is and them, of a but because has to and but also the people what is and what is not is a of the of the a one with but not the by the the this is a into the of of the as as the and against the of and much as the it in to to a We our of the as a of the state to a in people’s everyday life in a state-socialist as Cuba a of in the of our the in which the state becomes a in a state we might are with its the in which the state is by and also of on the the in which a and state system of food provisioning is to of in of a aspects of our ethnography of the that the state becomes so pervasive in people’s daily lives not just because it is in so much of it and of but also because it is to of that daily in state socialism Cuba’s socialist state is most we in its as the basic normative premise with to which people are to interpret and evaluate own and comportments in the daily interactions that food in this involves. state is so to state-socialist we might because daily life involves the constant and intricate comparison of its own realities against the normative ideals the state purports to institute. These ‘vernacular comparisons’ between life and state to with the the ‘local knowledge’ of state socialism in Cuba. as of the between and state our also in to the of in people’s to the state and the socialist state and has much of this as a of the of of the ideals by the state and the realities of life to is itself in just that as is so of socialist a for to the between the of and the in which people are to in by the we the that of in Cuba are of a we people’s of between ideals and realities in the of the is a of the of the in of the of the is a much and in which are into in as for and the daily that so much of life in state we in our of the of state and in the in state-socialist life is by the state in that are as as a of with a life in a we involves to the of state ideals into of own and it in is just to of in for this article by a of the to and for the we to our to a of individuals and in Cuba that and to our collective as a in our team its del and We are also to the de and its and its its of as as of and this the of we are to the people into lives and of the of relations we in this los como la de nuestra personas e a nuestro más A con las como del y del a por a y el el de la de a y sus como en el de la de a de por y en en a de y a del de del A por de estar presente en no de A las personas que a la de y que que a sus de a y y a la de por

Economic system · Economics · Political science · Sociology · Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development · Computer Science · Cuban History and Society · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy

• From Utopia to Dystopia

  Open Access•Santiago Juan-Navarro•Humanities•2021

  Añadir item

• Aspiring toward decency

  Open Access•Michaelanne Thomas, Sylvia Darling•New Media & Society•2026

  Añadir item

• Othering the state

  Open Access•Wig, Ståle Wig•Journal of the Royal Anthropologica…•2026

  Añadir item

• The House of Spirits

  Open Access•Martin Holbraad•The Cambridge Journal of…•2021

  Añadir item

• Karl Marx collective

  Caroline Humphrey•Karl Marx collective•1983

  Añadir item

• Art And Agency

  Alfred Gell•Art and agency•1998

  Añadir item

• Faces of the State

  Yael Navaro-Yashin, Yael Navaro‐yashin•Faces of the State•2002

  Añadir item

• The Politics of Duplicity

  Gail Kligman•Politics of Duplicity•1998

  Añadir item

• Belonging in the Two Berlins

  Open Access•John Borneman•Belonging in the Two Berlins•1992

  Añadir item

• Economies of Favour after Socialism

  D Henig, Nicolette Makovicky•Economies of Favour after Socialism•2017

  Añadir item

• This Is Not a Pipe

  Michel Foucault, James Harkness•This Is Not a Pipe•1983

  Añadir item

• Cuban Youth and Revolutionary Values

  Denise Blum, Denise F Blum•Cuban Youth and Revolutionary…•2011

  Añadir item

• Tourism and Informal Encounters in Cuba

  Open Access•Valerio Simoni•Tourism and Informal Encounters…•2016

  Añadir item

• The Social Life of the State in Subarctic Siberia

  N Ssorin-Chaikov, Nikolai V Ssorin-Chaikov et al.•The Social Life of the State in…•2003

  Añadir item

• Alienation

  Open Access•Bertell Ollman•Alienation•1977

  Añadir item

• Irony, Cynicism and the Chinese State

  Hans Steinmüller, Susanne Brandtstädter•Irony, Cynicism and the Chinese…•2015

  Añadir item

• What Was Socialism, and What Comes Next

  Katherine Verdery•What Was Socialism, and What…•1996

  Añadir item

• Money and the Morality of Commensuration

  Open Access•Martin Holbraad•Social Analysis•2017

  Añadir item

• Notes on the Difficulty of Studying the State (1977)

  Open Access•Philip Abrams•Journal of Historical Sociology•1988

  Añadir item

• Critique of cynical reason

  Michael Eldred, Peter Sloterdijk et al.•Critique of cynical reason•1987

  Añadir item

• Balance económico-social de 50 años de Revolución en Cuba

  Open Access•Carmelo Mesa-Lago, Carmelo Mesa‐lago•AMÉRICA LATINA HOY•2010

  Añadir item

• What Kinship Is-And Is Not

  Marshall Sahlins•What kinship is - and is not•2013

  Añadir item

• The Cynical Reason of Late Socialism

  Alexei Yurchak•Public Culture•1997

  Añadir item

• Orientation and Crafted Bureaucracy

  Open Access•Alex Nading•American Anthropologist•2017

  Añadir item