Please join the Comparative Politics Workshop on Wednesday, September 26 from 4:15-6:15 pm at the Political Science Thesis Room (5th floor).

Nicholas Rush Smith (City College, CUNY) will be presenting his paper, “The Emotional Turn in Political Violence Research.” The paper is attached and the abstract is below. Come to support your peer, engage in a lively discussion, share free wine and snacks, and network with the department.

Abstract: 

As has been the case with the study of social movements, revolutionary mobilization, political decision making, and international relations, the study of emotion has become increasingly important to research on political violence over the past two decades. Yet, even as the study of emotions and violence has flourished, this review argues that the literature overemphasizes “fast” violence like civil war or ethnic killing and too often looks to active emotions like hate, anger, or fear as explanations. Instead, the review suggests this research agenda would benefit from greater attention to “slow” violence like the processes through which states extend their bureaucratic and policing powers and the emotional habits that allow it. Doing so has two important theoretical consequences. First, the current emphasis on active emotions that drive people towards violence often blinds scholars to the ways in which emotions might prevent violence. Second, the literature’s emphasis on “fast” violence obscures the emotional registers that enable “slow” violence, like the trained callousness of public officials like police or border guards.

To download the paper, click here