What is it about?
In this study, we argue that understanding political identities requires a focus on practices—what people do—rather than just what they say. We present both ethical and practical reasons for this shift, offering clear principles that make it easier to analyze how physical actions and performances shape political identities. By focusing on practices, we aim to capture the full range of how people engage with politics, not just through words, but through their actions and bodily expressions.
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Why is it important?
Historically, discourse theory has predominantly focused on analysing words and speech as the primary means of interpreting political identities. However, we argue that this narrow focus on language overlooks the profound influence of non-verbal expressions and affect in shaping collective identities. Emotions, symbols, and actions play a significant role in forging these identities, yet methodological approaches within discourse theory remain heavily language-centric, especially reliant on textual analysis.
Perspectives
In this article, Emmy Eklundh and I present a more structured approach to highlight key insights from our research. We combine theoretical and methodological innovations, drawing on discourse studies, feminist theory, and psychoanalysis to offer fresh perspectives. This interdisciplinary approach not only refines existing frameworks but also introduces new principles for analyzing the emotional and physical aspects of political engagement. By bridging these fields, we provide a deeper and more nuanced understanding of contemporary political and social issues, grounded in clear methodological principles that prioritize the role of practice and emotion in politics.
Sebastián Ronderos
Universite de Namur
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Studying affect through discourse theory, Journal of Language and Politics, January 2025, John Benjamins,
DOI: 10.1075/jlp.24197.ekl.
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