The Political Circulation of Affects In Turbulent Times

In recent years, it has become well-established that affects and emotions are not only relevant to the constitution and understanding of social life, but also carry profound political significance. This panel aims to explore the relationship between affects, emotions and politics through a symbolic and cultural approach, paying particular attention to spheres whose political weight is often overlooked. We are interested in analysing the emotions that circulate and the strategic dynamics that emerge at the intersection of emotionality and politics, focusing on arenas such as the music scene, body politics, fashion, social media, and sports fandoms. Indeed, lifestyle influencers, fitness coaches, sport, music and crypto-communities are increasingly recognised as powerful disseminators of political ideas.

The panel seeks to examine how politics (broadly understood), affects, and emotions are activated within these cultural contexts. Crucially, our scope is inclusive of all ideological mindsets and extends beyond well-documented affective states like fear, hatred, or anger whose political influence is well known.

In sum, the panel delves into the political-affective dynamics within informal contexts and everyday interactions, both present or past. We welcome contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• The circulation of affect in music, alongside its political strategies and effects.
• The entanglement of affect and politics in community-building strategies within cultural and sports groups.
• The affective strategies employed by social media influencers to spread political messages.
• The affective politics of the body: embodied affects and their representations.
• Affective communication practices (e.g., memes, digital humour).