Why do all our feelings about politics matter?
| Author | Laura Jenkins |
| Published date | 01 February 2018 |
| Date | 01 February 2018 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/1369148117746917 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
https://doi.org/10.1177/1369148117746917
The British Journal of Politics and
International Relations
2018, Vol. 20(1) 191 –205
© The Author(s) 2018
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DOI: 10.1177/1369148117746917
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Why do all our feelings about
politics matter?
Laura Jenkins
Abstract
This article examines disenchantment with democracy and the role of emotions in politics. Its
contribution is to develop our understanding of emotions in situations of political disenchantment.
It is argued that (1) there are a wide variety of emotions involved in political disaffection which need
explication, (2) it is important to consider the dynamic of political motivation and demotivation
and (3) we should be concerned about political disenchantment, not only because citizens are
becoming negative and disengaging but because the concerns of some raise important issues with
justice and equality in democracies. Greater attention to the cultivation of emotions, such as
hope, in public life might help us to understand, (re)kindle, and sustain people’s affection for, and
engagement in, politics.
Keywords
anti-politics, democratic disenchantment, emotions, hope
In recent years, scholarly attention has focused on the effects of public disaffection with
representative politics, the rise of anti-political sentiment and the role of processes of
depoliticisation, professionalisation and consumerism (Dalton, 2004; Flinders, 2012;
Hay, 2007; Norris, 1999; Papadopolous, 2013; Stoker, 2006). This work is admirable in
its efforts to take citizen’s feelings about representative politics seriously and to see them
as significant for political thinking and engagement. Negative and demotivating emotions
and affects such as pessimism, resignation and disappointment are identified within such
accounts but other important emotions could be investigated more clearly and closely.
Drawing from the literature on emotions and politics (Ahmed, 2004; Bloch, 1998;
Campbell, 1996; Nussbaum, 2001, 2014; Prokhovnik, 1999), the intent of this article is to
explore how a more sustained examination of what emotions do in politics might contrib-
ute to our understanding of democratic (dis)enchantment. I propose that there are some
avenues that could be developed in the literature on disenchantment. I argue that the
motivating properties of particular emotions could be explored in greater detail. The dis-
enchantment literature provides an account of how demotivating states such as cynicism,
disappointment and pessimism arise via ‘heightened’ expectations or negative percep-
tions and advocates the tempering of such expectations and perceptions. Yet, these
School of Government and Society, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Corresponding author:
Laura Jenkins, School of Government and Society, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15
2TT, UK.
Email: l.m.jenkins@bham.ac.uk
746917BPI0010.1177/1369148117746917The British Journal of Politics and International RelationsJenkins
research-article2018
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