The book explores the aesthetic, affective, and spatial mechanisms through which dons, criminal leaders in Kingston, Jamaica, have attained a large degree of political legitimacy. Her analysis not only sheds light on this specific type of political authority, but also speaks to the entanglement of violent autocratic rule and democratic institutions far beyond Jamaica.

Highlighting a chapter

For this launch, professor Jaffe presented a chapter from her new book. She zoomed in on practices that might be viewed as extortion, but which many local residents in Downtown Kingston see as legitimate forms of taxation or charitable donations. Tax compliance is enforced not just through violent coercion but also through consent. She discussed the affective dimensions of this: When does a payment feel like a legitimate contribution to the public good? And when does it start to feel like extortion?

Talk from Marlies Glasius

In the second half of this event, Marlies Glasius, professor of International Relations at the University of Amsterdam, reflected on the book. She praised its readability and its insights into authoritarianism, and asked professor Jaffe about her views on the darker sides of ‘donmanship’. This lively discussion was continued in the Q&A session with members of the audience.