The Politics of Affective Societies

1. Why did You chose this topic?

Right now, many people believe that politics is more emotional than ever. This claim has interested us as well working at the interdisciplinary research center ›Affective Societies‹ (DFG-SFB 1171). Coming from a broad spectrum of disciplines and approaches, we wanted to address a common question: what is the role of affect and emotion in politics?

2. What new perspectives does your book offer?

We join the debate by pointing out two things:

1. Affect and emotion have always been constitutive for the political organization of social co-existence.

2. The question is therefore: How do affect and emotion modulate political life? The book assembles case studies that examine the workings of affect and emotion, both in obvious contexts and in unexpected places.

3. What makes your topic relevant for current research debates?

Current debates focus on how social media, the rise of populism, and global phenomena like climate change are transforming what we call political discourse. We provide not only the theoretical groundwork but above all the analytical tools for describing the conditions that make these transformations possible in the first place.

4. Choose one person you would like to discuss your book with!

We are thirteen authors from seven disciplines. The highest approval rate in our secret internal poll had: Karl Marx (87.3%).

5. Your book summary in one sentence:

Politics is inevitably affective and this book shows how affective dynamics open political spaces, structure them in ambiguous and conflictual fashions, and close them by channeling political action.