Exploring the cultural history of surveillance practices of the Securitate, Romania’s secret police during its communist period, the book blends biographical details in a historical inquiry to establish the concepts of psuchegraphy, dossierveillance, and banalization of evil in the study of Securitate Archives.
In the context of communist Romania under the reign of Nicolae Ceauşescu (1965–89), dossierveillance was a type of surveillance that stresses the miasmic effect of Securitate dossiers in the daily life of Romanians. Centered around the analysis of this concept, the book presents a unique account of the surveillance practices of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, expanding its relevance to fear in the current neo-liberal societies. This book will appeal to students of Eastern European history and politics, criminology, sociology, anthropology, and surveillance studies.