The persistence of opposition in an oppressive regime

The case of the Catholic Church in Czechoslovakia

Dados Bibliográficos

ID5722136
AutoresP Minarik (0000-0002-3913-2006, J. E. Purkyně University, Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic, autor correspondente)
Ano2022
Volume34
Fascículo2
Páginas218-236
Data de publicação2022-05-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoRationality and Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1043-4631 • E-ISSN: 1461-7358
EditoraSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/10434631221092759
OpenAlexW4226391470
IdiomaEN
Referências citadas21

When faced with oppression from the state, some groups and individuals choose costly opposition rather than a compromise. This may be caused by the cost of compromise being higher than the cost of opposition. However, it is also possible that the persistent opposition is due to some past decisions. The paper proposes a model explaining persistent opposition as a result of group-specific investment in human capital that traps individuals in an opposition group even when she would be better off outside the group. The model is illustrated with the case of the Catholic Church in Czechoslovakia, the largest group opposing the Communist regime. Within that context, the model contributes to the explanation of the persistence and growth of the underground church under Communist rule as well as the post-Communist religious revival. The same model may also be applied to malign opposition groups, such as terrorist and criminal organizations, and it provides clues about how to deal with them

Communism · Compromise · Economics · Oppression · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Law · Political Conflict and Governance · Religion and Society Interactions