What is the role of emotion in the shaping of identities,
communities, and political cultures? How have narratives of shame, love,
melancholy, anger, and “muddle” allowed writers to address experiences of
injury and stigmatization? In this seminar we will explore the growing body of
interdisciplinary scholarship on affect.
Readings will include theoretical approaches (Deleuze, Berlant, Ngai,
Hardt/Negri, Williams, Love) and literary works drawn mostly from queer and
postcolonial archives. Topics considered will include affective citizenship;
embodiment and touch; antisocial behavior; empathy, hospitality, and
conviviality; care-giving and affective labor; and the recent embrace of
tragedy in postcolonial studies.
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