The Affective and Emotional Dimensions of Alienation: Modernity, Agents, Structures, and Processes 1
The Affective and Emotional Dimensions of Alienation: Modernity, Agents, Structures, and Processes 1
Wednesday, 9 July 2025: 09:00-10:45
Location: SJES009 (Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences (JES))
RC36 Alienation Theory and Research (host committee) Language: English
Alienation, a cornerstone of sociology, delineates the disconnection between individuals and their social milieu, taking on multifaceted forms in contemporary society, influencing emotional landscapes and interpersonal dynamics. This session delves into the intricate interplay of alienation and emotion, exploring how structural conditions, social relations, and individual agency converge to shape diverse emotional states and manifestations of estrangement. Through diverse theoretical and empirical lenses, the session aims to deepen insights into this complex interplay within late modern societies. Key themes include: the role of capitalist social relations in generating alienation and its emotional consequences, drawing on Marxist theory and empirical studies; the relational nature of alienation, where individuals feel detached from societal roles and identities, impacting emotion management; discussions on emotional labor, alienation, and burnout in professional contexts; the effects of rapid social and technological changes alongside diminished agency on contemporary alienation and its emotional dimensions; experiences of marginalized groups grappling with belonging and alienation; and the emotional dynamics within familial relationships, including "parental alienation." The literature on alienation reveals two main perspectives: an objective, Marxian view focusing on sociohistorical and structural origins of alienation as independent of individual sentiments, and a subjectivist, social-psychological perspective emphasizing inner mental states influenced by external socio-environmental factors. This session invites exploration of the affective dimensions of alienation—how it is experienced, the emotions it embodies, and its impact on individual emotional lives—seeking to enrich our understanding of this pervasive societal phenomenon.
Session Organizers:
Oral Presentations