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The Affect Effect: Dynamics of Emotion in Political Thinking and Behavior
Passion and emotion run deep in politics, but researchers have only recently begun to study how they influence our political thinking. Contending that the long-standing neglect of such feelings has left unfortunate gaps in our understanding of political behavior, "The Affect Effect" fills the void by providing a comprehensive overview of current research on emotion in politics and where it is likely to lead.
In sixteen seamlessly integrated essays, thirty top scholars approach this topic from a broad array of angles that address four major themes. The first section outlines the philosophical and neuroscientific foundations of emotion in politics, while the second focuses on how emotions function within and among individuals. The final two sections branch out to explore how politics work at the societal level and suggest the next steps in modeling, research, and political activity itself. Opening up new paths of inquiry in an exciting new field, this volume will appeal not only to scholars of American politics and political behavior, but also to anyone interested in political psychology and sociology.
In sixteen seamlessly integrated essays, thirty top scholars approach this topic from a broad array of angles that address four major themes. The first section outlines the philosophical and neuroscientific foundations of emotion in politics, while the second focuses on how emotions function within and among individuals. The final two sections branch out to explore how politics work at the societal level and suggest the next steps in modeling, research, and political activity itself. Opening up new paths of inquiry in an exciting new field, this volume will appeal not only to scholars of American politics and political behavior, but also to anyone interested in political psychology and sociology.
461 pages, Unknown Binding
First published September 15, 2007
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October 1, 2009
The Affect Effect" is a welcome volume. In political science--and in the study of political thinking and behavior--the rational choice perspective has become very powerful. While it yields some genuine insights, it is also one dimensional. People are not simply cost-benefit calculators, are not solely means-ends analysts. Emotion matters. And that is what this volume is about. The volume is intended as much for a more academic audience than not, so it will be something of a challenge for the non-cognoscenti. Nonetheless, a useful and welcome volume.
The editors begin by noting their "scope of work" (page 1):
"This book responds to a resurgent interest in the way emotion interacts with thinking about politics and, as a result, the way citizens engage in or withdraw from political activity. We have come to conclude that there is indeed an affect effect. . . . Our explicit goal in this work is to draw focused attention to what had been a relatively neglected area in the study of mass political behavior."
Their introduction places the issues addressed here in a broader context, and represents a nice starting point for the book.
The first part is important, in that two of the chapters emphasize the importance of considering the human brain and neurosciences in understanding emotion and its role in politics. Humans are a product of the evolutionary process and have brains that affect how people think and behave. Not to recognize this would have been a problem with the volume; acknowledging this is a plus. The second part focuses on "micro models," how emotion/affect influences individuals' political thinking and behavior. Part Three addresses "macro level" issues, how human affect influences system level politics. Finally, Part Four considers "Next Steps in Research and Outreach."
This is a good examination of the role of emotion and affect in politics. It points to future research directions. It will not necessarily be easy reading for a lay audience, but it is worth the struggle. For academic scholars, this is, indeed, a rich resource and should be required reading for those studying humans' political thinking and behavior.
The editors begin by noting their "scope of work" (page 1):
"This book responds to a resurgent interest in the way emotion interacts with thinking about politics and, as a result, the way citizens engage in or withdraw from political activity. We have come to conclude that there is indeed an affect effect. . . . Our explicit goal in this work is to draw focused attention to what had been a relatively neglected area in the study of mass political behavior."
Their introduction places the issues addressed here in a broader context, and represents a nice starting point for the book.
The first part is important, in that two of the chapters emphasize the importance of considering the human brain and neurosciences in understanding emotion and its role in politics. Humans are a product of the evolutionary process and have brains that affect how people think and behave. Not to recognize this would have been a problem with the volume; acknowledging this is a plus. The second part focuses on "micro models," how emotion/affect influences individuals' political thinking and behavior. Part Three addresses "macro level" issues, how human affect influences system level politics. Finally, Part Four considers "Next Steps in Research and Outreach."
This is a good examination of the role of emotion and affect in politics. It points to future research directions. It will not necessarily be easy reading for a lay audience, but it is worth the struggle. For academic scholars, this is, indeed, a rich resource and should be required reading for those studying humans' political thinking and behavior.
Displaying 1 of 1 review