PS-Introduction to Cultural Studies: National Affects: Structures of Feeling in Contemporary Britain
Matilda Jones
Comments
This module analyses the past thirty years of British culture through a lens of emotion and feeling. Paying tribute to Raymond Williams’ concept of ‘structures of feeling’ (1977), we will begin with a brief introduction to affect theory in relation to national culture. Subsequently, we will trace various affective states that have come to define some specific time periods, such as: the joy of 90s rave; the optimism of Cool Britannia; the imperial nostalgia of the Brexit years; the grief of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing; and the contemporary angst of climate breakdown. Following Sara Ahmed’s provocation ‘What do emotions do?’ (2013), we will ask: How do national affects correspond to periods of economic growth or downturn? How can we decipher counter-cultural affects from mainstream or hegemonic impositions of national feeling? What role does affect play in the process of social inclusion/exclusion? Addressing these questions and more, students will become well-versed in central thematic and methodological aspects of Cultural Studies whilst honing key skills in critical reading and analysis, argumentation, and academic writing.
close12 Class schedule
Regular appointments