PlasticPills - Philosophy & Critical Theory Podcast Affect Theory and Revolutionary Routines - Interview with Carolyn Pedwell
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Sep 8, 2023 In this engaging conversation, Professor Carolyn Pedwell, a leading voice in Cultural Studies and Media, explores the intricate dance between affect theory and social change. She highlights the importance of minor gestures, challenging the notion that only grand actions ignite transformation. Pedwell shares her personal struggles with insomnia, linking individual habits to broader societal contexts. The discussion delves into class consciousness, emotional resonance in political movements, and the need for flexible strategies in activism, offering fresh insights into the complexities of driving change.
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Habits Underpin Social Change
- Affect theory often emphasizes radical affective shocks for social change but they frequently fail to create lasting effects.
- Habit theory reveals that enduring change comes from modifying everyday social and embodied habits, not just major events.
Social Change in a Minor Key
- Social change often happens in a "minor key," through subtle, constant, processual changes rather than dramatic revolutions.
- These minor habitual shifts hold latent potentials that can gradually reconfigure social and political behaviors.
Change Habits Beyond Consciousness
- Avoid relying solely on cognitive awareness to drive change; habitual behaviors often operate below conscious thought.
- Engage with embodied, somatic, and environmental factors to modify habits more effectively.
