Difference between revisions of "Blat (Caucasus)"

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|style="font-size:1.1em;"| It is hard to estimate when the Soviet/Russian practice of ''[[blat]]'' – use of personal networks for getting thing done <ref>Ledeneva, Alena. 1998. Russia's economy of favours: Blat, networking and informal exchange. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. </ref> – became established in the former Soviet republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. According to the author’s informants, ''blat'' practices spread in the region in the post-war period (mid 1940s onwards). The term ''blat'' migrated from Soviet Russia, and became established in the urban dialects of Armenians, Azeris and Georgians as a ‘trendy’ way of referring to previously-existing informal behaviour. For example, in Azerbaijan, ''blat'' is synonymous with local practices, such as ''[[taps]]'' and ''[[hormet]]''. In Georgia, ''blat'' is sometimes used alongside the local term ''[[krtami]]''. Notwithstanding the etymological complexity, it is nevertheless possible to delineate and differentiate ''blat'' from other informal behaviours in the South Caucasus.

|style="font-size:1.1em;"| It is hard to estimate when the Soviet/Russian practice of ''[[blat]]'' – use of personal networks for getting thing done <ref>Ledeneva, Alena. 1998. Russia's economy of favours: Blat, networking and informal exchange. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. </ref> – became established in the former Soviet republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. According to the author’s informants, ''blat'' practices spread in the region in the post-war period (mid 1940s onwards). The term ''blat'' migrated from Soviet Russia, and became established in the urban dialects of Armenians, Azeris and Georgians as a ‘trendy’ way of referring to previously-existing informal behaviour. For example, in Azerbaijan, ''blat'' is synonymous with local practices, such as ''[[taps]]'' and ''[[hormet]]''. In Georgia, ''blat'' is sometimes used alongside the local term ''[[krtami]]''. Notwithstanding the etymological complexity, it is nevertheless possible to delineate and differentiate ''blat'' from other informal behaviours in the South Caucasus.

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In Soviet Armenia, the term ''blat'' was used primarily by Russian-speaking residents of the capital city Yerevan. In post-communist times, ‘using ''blat''’ can refer to a plethora of informal practices ranging from gift-giving to preferential treatment in formal institutions<ref>Babajanian, Babken V. 2008. ‘Social capital and community participation in post-Soviet Armenia: Implications for policy and practice’, Europe-Asia Studies, 60(8): 1299-1319.</ref>. More commonly, however, the term ''blat'' is employed under various circumstances to describe the use of personal connections. Similarly, ''blat'' in Azerbaijan occurs mainly in urban contexts and is mentioned mostly by residents of the capital city Baku<ref>Aliyev, Huseyn. 2015a. ‘Informal Networks as Sources of Human (In)Security in the South Caucasus’, Global Change, Peace & Security, 27(2): 1-16.</ref>. Both ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking Azeri residents of Baku use the term ''blat'' to denote favour-based informal relationships<ref>Aliyev, Huseyn. 2013. ‘Post-Communist Informal Networking: Blat in the South Caucasus’, Demokratizatsiya: Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization, 21(1): 98-111.</ref>. Whereas residents of other major urban centres (Ganja, Sheki, etc.) are vaguely familiar with the term, ''blat'' is unknown to individuals originating from rural settlements. In contrast to Azeri ''[[taps]]'', which functions primarily in urban areas and is used to access formal institutions and widely employed in the search for jobs, ''blat'' exists not as a practice but as an umbrella concept with a connotation of personal influence and strength of one’s networks. To have '''blat''' means to have a well-developed system of personal networks, which can assist individuals in day-to-day life. Each of these contacts in a ''blat'' network may be used to obtain more specific ''[[taps]]''-favours. In other words, unlike more abstract networking-centred use of the term ''blat'', ''[[taps]]'' refers to the actual process of favour-provision. Research conducted by the author in several of Baku’s suburbs in 2013-14, revealed that references to blat are waning with the steady decline in numbers of Russian-speakers.

In Soviet Armenia, the term ''blat'' was used primarily by Russian-speaking residents of the capital city Yerevan. In post-communist times, ‘using ''blat''’ can refer to a plethora of informal practices ranging from gift-giving to preferential treatment in formal institutions<ref>Babajanian, Babken V. 2008. ‘Social capital and community participation in post-Soviet Armenia: Implications for policy and practice’, Europe-Asia Studies, 60(8): 1299-1319.</ref>. More commonly, however, the term ''blat'' is employed under various circumstances to describe the use of personal connections. Similarly, ''blat'' in Azerbaijan occurs mainly in urban contexts and is mentioned mostly by residents of the capital city Baku<ref>Aliyev, Huseyn. 2015a. ‘Informal Networks as Sources of Human (In)Security in the South Caucasus’, Global Change, Peace & Security, 27(2): 1-16.</ref>. Both ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking Azeri residents of Baku use the term ''blat'' to denote favour-based informal relationships<ref>Aliyev, Huseyn. 2013. ‘Post-Communist Informal Networking: Blat in the South Caucasus’, Demokratizatsiya: Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization, 21(1): 98-111.</ref>. Whereas residents of other major urban centres (Ganja, Sheki, etc.) are vaguely familiar with the term, ''blat'' is unknown to individuals originating from rural settlements. In contrast to Azeri ''[[taps]]'', which functions primarily in urban areas and is used to access formal institutions and widely employed in the search for jobs, ''blat'' exists not as a practice but as an umbrella concept with a connotation of personal influence and strength of one’s networks. To have '''blat''' means to have a well-developed system of personal networks, which can assist individuals in day-to-day life. Each of these contacts in a ''blat'' network may be used to obtain more specific ''[[taps]]''-favours. In other words, unlike more abstract networking-centred use of the term ''blat'', ''[[taps]]'' refers to the actual process of favour-provision. Research conducted by the author in several of Baku’s suburbs in 2013-14, revealed that references to blat are waning with the steady decline in numbers of Russian-speakers.