The interdisciplinary course is about the role of emotions in political action and social movements. People often disregard the vital role of emotions in the political realm because of how ‘irrationality’ is associated with it. The course provides an outlook on emotions from a political science perspective, sociological and anthropological one, from which one can analyze and examine how these emotions drive and impact political phenomena ranging from social movements and nationalism to civil wars and violence.
Later on, in the semester, we examine how different impactful emotions, such as fear, shame, anger, hate, revenge, and hope, shape the politics and political stances of civilians and political groups. These emotions play an integral part in the daily life of humans in different contexts and circumstances. Therefore it is no surprise that they spill over to the political realm and affect various decision-making processes, as well as their involvement in state-making.
The course has been fundamental in acknowledging the intrinsic involvement of nationalism with emotion. Despite learning that nationalism is all about loyalty and devotion to one’s country, the course expanded that to learn about collective action and emotions in nationalism and state-making. Collective emotions are a vital shared feeling to mobilize groups in most social and political movements. In nationalism, collective emotions are evident in commemorations and speeches that address the public, but also the direct impact on them and their future. The emotional connection built to the nation and the political community legitimizes the community and emphasizes that politics has the potential to be driven by emotions and hence why it is not irrational.
For the final project in this course, I will create a podcast with a peer on the emotional national sentiments of the Sudanese and Egyptian revolutions by analyzing the chants used in the protests. We aim to analyze chants by highlighting how nationalism and emotions contribute differently to both revolutions due to culture and the political climate. The podcast will showcase the emotional significance of chants as they enhance nationalist feelings in the revolutions and how they unite the people.
The final project will provide me with a new outlook as I compare and contrast the neighboring country's various collective actions and emotions and their different political climate through emotions. It will greatly impact my research on the Sudanese revolution by spotlighting the distinct means of uniting civilians through political and patriotic chants against the government and supporting the revolution.