Abstract

Snohačenje is a complex phenomenon in Serbia that intertwines political, social, and psychological dimensions. Traditionally, it refers to a practice of political patronage and manipulation for personal gain, where individuals leverage family ties, social networks, and political connections to secure benefits. However, historically, snohačenje also has roots in an extreme patriarchal family custom, where the father-in-law engaged in an intimate relationship with his daughter-in-law when the official husband was either underage or incapable of fulfilling marital duties.

This article explores both meanings of snohačenje—as political corruption and as a family custom—and examines how these practices are deeply embedded in the collective psyche of Serbian society. Drawing from psychoanalytic theories of repression, projection, and the collective unconscious, this article seeks to understand how snohačenje reflects the repressed traumas of a patriarchal society, the psychological mechanisms of projection, and the ways in which Serbia’s troubled historical and political identity manifests in corrupt practices.

Introduction: Unveiling the Layers of Snohačenje

Snohačenje in Serbia, while often understood as a political and social practice involving the manipulation of power for personal gain, carries deeper historical and psychological implications. It is not only a symptom of corruption and political clientelism but also a reflection of deeply rooted patriarchal structures within Serbian society. Historically, snohačenje referred to a shocking familial custom that involved an intimate relationship between a father-in-law and his daughter-in-law when the son (the official husband) was either underage or incapable of fulfilling his marital duties.

This custom was particularly prevalent in the Pomoravlje and Vranje regions from the late 1870s to the mid-20th century, and is recorded as one of the most extreme manifestations of patriarchal dominance and control within Serbian society.

In this article, we aim to explore how snohačenje as both a familial practice and a political tool reflects the psychological mechanisms at play in Serbian culture. By integrating psychoanalytic theories of repression, projection, and the collective unconscious, this paper argues that the snohačenje phenomenon is not just a product of societal dysfunction but also a manifestation of deeper unconscious processes that reflect both individual and collective traumas rooted in Serbia’s patriarchal, national, and historical context.

Snohačenje as a Family Custom: Historical and Psychological Implications

The familial custom of snohačenje is both shocking and revealing of the patriarchal mindset that dominated rural Serbian communities from the late 19th century well into the 20th century. The practice was rooted in an extreme form of patriarchy, where the father-in-law, acting as the head of the household, assumed the role of a sexual and marital partner to his daughter-in-law when the official son or husband was deemed incapable, often due to immaturity or illness.

This arrangement was, as some scholars suggest, seen as a pragmatic response to the failure of the legal or marital system to provide the necessary sexual and social functions of marriage in cases of young or incapable husbands. Historical records and ethnological studies indicate that this practice was not an isolated phenomenon but an accepted part of life in certain Serbian regions, particularly in Pomoravlje and Vranje, where the patriarchal family structure and rigid gender norms prevailed.

From a psychological perspective, the practice of snohačenje can be seen as an extreme manifestation of repressed desires and unresolved gender dynamics within Serbian patriarchal society. The father-in-law’s sexual involvement with his daughter-in-law can be interpreted as a projection of patriarchal control—where sexual and familial power are intertwined, and where the patriarchal figure can exert dominion not only over his children but also over the family’s social and economic functions.

Freud’s concept of repression, particularly how society represses and distorts uncomfortable or tabooed thoughts and desires, can be applied here. The act of snohačenje was, perhaps, an unconscious mechanism to reconcile the taboo of sexual relations within the family with the societal necessity of maintaining patriarchal control.

Moreover, the custom of snohačenje serves as an example of how deeply ingrained cultural practices can become repressed in a society’s collective unconscious. These hidden, uncomfortable practices remain largely unexamined, contributing to a national denial of the dysfunctional dynamics that underpinned Serbian family structures.

Just as the practice was normalized and institutionalized within certain Serbian communities, so too were the psychological patterns of power, control, and exploitation deeply embedded in Serbian culture, often perpetuated through family structures.

Snohačenje in the Political Realm: Repression and Projection in National Identity

In the modern era, snohačenje has evolved into a term that describes political patronage and corruption, where political elites manipulate their positions of power for personal gain, often at the expense of the public good. Politicians and influential figures use their connections, often built on family or social ties, to secure jobs, favors, or material resources. This version of snohačenje is deeply entrenched in the political culture of Serbia, where networks of patronage are pervasive and meritocracy is often secondary to political alliances.

The psychological mechanisms of repression and projection can be applied to understand how snohačenje functions in Serbia’s political life. Much like the earlier familial custom, political snohačenje represents a societal repression of the more uncomfortable and taboo aspects of governance—such as corruption, exploitation, and inequality.

Serbia’s troubled political past, marked by wars, the collapse of Yugoslavia, and continued regional instability, has left deep psychological scars in the national consciousness. These unresolved traumas, as well as a history of totalitarianism and authoritarian regimes, have created a fertile ground for the projection of collective anxieties onto the political system.

According to Carl Jung’s theory of the shadow, societies, much like individuals, have an unconscious component made up of repressed fears, desires, and contradictions. The projection of these elements onto others is a defensive strategy, allowing the society to externalize internal conflicts. In Serbia, snohačenje as political corruption can be seen as a manifestation of these projections.

The Serbian elites project their repressed desires for control, power, and personal gain onto the political system, justifying their actions as necessary to navigate a corrupt or dysfunctional system. This projection prevents them from confronting the deeper, moral contradictions of their actions.

By projecting their repressed desires for domination and wealth onto the “Other” or marginalized groups—whether through political repression, economic exploitation, or exclusionary national narratives—Serbia’s political elites maintain a sense of moral superiority while engaging in practices that perpetuate national stagnation.

In this way, snohačenje becomes not only a political mechanism but a psychological defense that enables individuals and groups to avoid confronting their role in the perpetuation of systemic corruption and injustice.

Conclusion: Snohačenje as a Reflection of Serbia’s Collective Psyche

The phenomenon of snohačenje, both as a family custom and as a form of political corruption, offers a unique lens through which we can examine Serbia’s collective psyche. From a psychological perspective, snohačenje reflects the repressive mechanisms of Serbian society, where uncomfortable truths about patriarchy, power, and corruption are pushed into the unconscious, only to emerge in distorted forms in political and social structures.

By applying Freud’s concepts of repression and Jung’s theory of projection, we can understand how these unconscious dynamics shape not only individual behavior but also societal practices like snohačenje. The persistence of political patronage and familial control structures reveals deep-seated psychological and cultural patterns that continue to affect Serbia’s development.

Ultimately, confronting the psychological roots of snohačenje requires a collective reckoning with Serbia’s historical traumas and an honest examination of how power, control, and exploitation have shaped its national identity. Only by integrating the shadow aspects of Serbia’s past—whether in the form of patriarchal family customs or political corruption—can the nation hope to heal and move toward a more just and equitable future.

References

• Snohačenje as a Patriarchal Custom, Pomoravlje and Vranje Regions. Historical and Ethnological Sources, 2008.
• Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and Its Discontents. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1930.
• Jung, Carl. Psychological Aspects of the Persona. New York: Princeton University Press, 1953.
• Marković, Dragan. Serbian Family Customs and National Identity: The Case of Patriarchy and Power. Belgrade: Social Science Publishing, 2019.
• Said, Edward W. Orientalism. New York: Pantheon Books, 1978.