The Politics of Emotions and American Sensibilities
AMST 306
Spring 2026
| Section:
01
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| Course Cluster and Certificates: Caribbean Studies Minor |
This course starts from the premise that emotions are not automatic responses or merely products of internal psychological states. Instead, we will consider them as expressions that simultaneously influence and are influenced by the world. By drawing on ethnographic case studies, we will explore the social life of sentiments and analyze how emotions serve as the medium for crafting narratives about what it means to be an American citizen. Each week, we will closely examine the social formation of an emotion, including hate, anger, horror, terror, love, and compassion. The course will be grounded in a critique of liberal concepts such as freedom, rights, autonomy, and human rights. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS AMST |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (American Studies) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
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Adriana Cavarero, HORRORISM: NAMING CONTEMPORARY VIOLENCE; Nitzan Shoshan, THE MANAGEMENT OF HATE: NATION, AFFECT, AND THE GOVERNANCE OF RIGHT-WING EXTREMISM IN GERMANY; Eva Illouz, COLD INTIMACIES: THE MAKING OF EMOTIONAL CAPITALISM; Elizabeth Povinelli, THE EMPIRE OF LOVE: TOWARD A THEORY OF INTIMACY, GENEALOGY, AND CARNALITY. Robin Corey, FEAR: THE HISTORY OF A POLITICAL IDEA, Peter Stearns, AMERICAN FEAR: THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF HIGH ANXIETY. Other authors might include: Brian Massumi, Emily Martin, Sara Ahmed, Sergio Starkstein, Ann Stoler, and Sylvia Yanagisako.
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Examinations and Assignments:
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Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
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| Instructor(s): Ramia,Valentina Times: .M.W... 10:50AM-12:10PM; Location: TBA |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 15 | | SR major: 4 | JR major: 4 | | |
| Seats Available: 15 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 3 | JR non-major: 3 | SO: 1 | FR: X |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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