EMOTIONS IN POLITICS AND CULTURE (2023)

Call for Papers 

The Department of British and Commonwealth Studies at the Faculty of International and Political Studies of the University of Lodz invites scholars and people interested to the interdisciplinary conference entitled “Emotions in Politics and Culture”.  

Time: 17 November 2023 

Range: international 

Form: hybrid – in-person for participants with papers in the Polish language, virtual (via MS TEAMS) for persons presenting papers in English 

Conference description
Emotions and affects are as much a part of politics and culture as its rationales and messages. They can be found in the rhetoric of political speeches, from the classical speeches of Greek and Roman commanders and parliamentarians, as in Julius Caesar’s On the Gallic War, through the proclamations of important figures in modern history which were inspired by them, to the most recent times. Messages addressed directly to emotions often determined the outcome of military and parliamentary campaigns and, in a broader sense, the course of world history. Both defenders of democracy and dictators were aware of this, adapting their messages to the public mood, often created by themselves. Hence, the frequent use of emotions in propaganda strategies, aimed at evoking specific physical reactions: disgust, ecstasy, indignation and, nowadays, in advertising campaigns.    

Despite our living in times when access to information is greater than at any time in history, recent years have seen an intensification of emotions in the channelling of political messages. It is not so much rational reasons that determine the victory of particular programs, but the emotionality of the message. After all, who expected the victories of politicians whose views can be described as radical and sometimes even contrary to the dictates of reason? A partial answer can be found in the general conditions of our era - postmodern “little narratives” and related to them post-truths and alternative facts, simulacra and hyperreality. The spread of new media can be considered equally important, giving an opportunity to express opinions to the part of society that usually remains silent during official debates, increasing the importance of influencers, or giving a wider range of possibilities for self-promotion outside of official information channels. More than ever Henri Bergson’s observation, who believed that emotion and affect are necessary for the emergence of thought, is relevant.