Affect and Emotion

"Absolutely essential reading for those wanting to understand the recent 'turn' to affect. Offering an extensive analysis of all the perspectives available, including the psycho, neuro, bio and social, Margie Wetherell treads a magisterial path through the radically different offerings, one that illuminates key ideas and will save the uninitiated wandering down many pointless avenues. A path-setting book."
- Professor Beverley Skeggs, Goldsmiths

In recent years there has been a huge surge of interest in affect and emotion. Scholars want to discover how people are moved, and understand embodied social action, feelings and passions. How do social formations 'grab' people? How do roller coasters of contempt, patriotism, hate and euphoria power public life?

A new social science understanding of affect and emotion is long overdue and Margaret Wetherell's voice is timely, providing a coherent and pragmatic text. It will be invaluable reading for those interested in this fascinating field across the social and behavioural sciences.

“This important book is a brilliant corrective to some of the careless, poorly psychologically informed work on affect. It is essential reading for all those seriously interested in the topic.”

Absolutely essential reading for those wanting to understand the recent ′turn′ to affect. Offering an extensive analysis of all the perspectives available, including the psycho, neuro, bio and social, Margie Wetherell treads a magisterial path through the radically different offerings, one that illuminates key ideas and will save the uninitiated wandering down many pointless avenues. A path-setting book.

-- Professor Beverley Skeggs
Engagingly well written and using up-to-the-minute research, this book will be indispensible for those who want a comprehensive overview of ′where we are now′ in research on emotions. But more than this, by developing an original model of ′affective practices′, which focuses on the affective assemblages operating in concrete situations, it suggests a way forward that will prove inspirational for new research in this field.  -- Ian Burkitt
The book is a valuable addition not only to the study of affect and emotion, but also to the rest of social science research. Emphasizing the importance of social interaction, it embarks on an ambitious debate on the subject. Readers already familiar with the field will get the most out of this title. -- Marjo Kolehmainen



-- Valerie Walkerdine

Margaret Wetherell is Professor of Social Psychology at the Open University, UK and Director of the Economic and Social Research Council Programme on Identities and Social Action.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.