Identity and Politics of Emotions

Abstract

This session seeks to explore the connections between types of personal and collective identities (national, religious, ethnic, class, gender, etc.), subjective emotions (xenophobia, altruism, fear, wounded dignity, indignation, pride, envy, sympathy – i.e., forms of psychological affect, consciously felt and unconnected to interests -- whether instrumental or ideal -- that may be considered rational as related to the objective situation and rationally negotiated), and political action (national, international, democratic, authoritarian, etc.). Papers focus on emotional implications of certain kinds of identities (i.e., are certain identities connected to certain emotions?), on political implications of certain emotions (can emotions account for particular political trends or types of political action?), on implications for identity of certain political trends or types of action (do particular types of politics produce certain types of identity?), considering several causal directions, and include both detailed case-studies and theoretical arguments supported by broad comparisons.