Studying affect through discourse theory: Towards a methodology of practice

Eklundh, Emmy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5824-6503 and Ronderos, Sebastian 2025. Studying affect through discourse theory: Towards a methodology of practice. Journal of Language and Politics 10.1075/jlp.24197.ekl

PDF - Accepted Post-Print Version Download (1MB)

Abstract

This article presents a methodological argument for examining the affective dimensions of political identity formation, with a pivotal focus on the role of practice. Grounded in a psychoanalytically inspired discourse theory framework, it advocates for expanding research beyond textual sources to investigate the affective investment inherent in political engagement and the process of collective identity formation. Through an examination of two empirical case studies — the Just Stop Oil movement in the United Kingdom and the ascent of Javier Milei in Argentinean politics — the article proposes four principles to study the articulation of political identities through practice: Signifiers are not just words; beyond counting words; policy is central, and fantasy is a cipher. By underscoring fantasy as a critical dimension in identity formation and, suggesting that, by transcending the conventional Schmittian friend/enemy divide, novel avenues for analysing collective identities will surface.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Cardiff Law & Politics Department of Politics and International Relations (POLIR)
Subjects:	J Political Science > JC Political theory J Political Science > JN Political institutions (Europe)
Publisher:	John Benjamins Publishing
ISSN:	1569-2159
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	19 December 2024
Date of Acceptance:	23 November 2024
Last Modified:	17 Jan 2025 14:31
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/174810

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item