Significant Emotions: Rhetoric and Social Problems in a Vulnerable Age

Significant Emotions explores the increasing use of emotional signifiers in public debate and the rhetoric surrounding social problems. It argues that the "emotional turn" in the social sciences and culture has led to the prominence of positive emotional signifiers as causes and solutions to social issues, but this trend is not a sign of a more enlightened society. Instead, it reflects a preoccupation with emotional deficits and a belief in emotional disorientation as the root of social ills. Emotions have become key signifiers of broader cultural tendencies towards conservatism, vulnerability, and the determined self.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 14 December 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Significant Emotions is a profound exploration of the increasing prevalence of emotional signifiers in public discourse and the rhetoric surrounding a diverse range of social issues. Building upon the concepts explored in Ashley Frawley's previous work, Semiotics of Happiness, this book delves into the profound 'emotional turn' across various social sciences and the cultural ascendancy of the 'age of emotion.' It examines in intricate detail how this emotional era has shaped our language and approaches to addressing emerging social concerns.

The book uncovers the rise of purportedly 'positive emotional signifiers,' which are now hailed as powerful agents for combating and resolving nearly every societal ill. These signifiers encompass a wide spectrum, ranging from fostering self-esteem, happiness, and mindfulness to addressing issues related to well-being and mental health. By conceptualizing the emergence and relative decline of these emotional signifiers as cycles of discovery, adoption, expansion, and exhaustion, the book argues that it is crucial to delve deeper into the underlying cultural currents that drive their adoption and contribute to their rhetorical power.

Through a rigorous and comprehensive examination of these trends across academic claims-making activities, traditional and social media platforms, and social policy frameworks, Frawley makes a compelling case that the 'age of emotion' does not signify a progressive step toward a more emotionally aware and enlightened society. Rather, it reflects a preoccupation with emotional deficits and a firm belief that emotional disorientation underpins nearly every social ill.

Emerging from the analysis is a profound conclusion: emotions have become vital indicators of broader cultural tendencies towards affirming conservatism over progress, vulnerability over resilience, and the determined self over the free-willing subject. This book offers a thought-provoking exploration of the emotional landscape and its profound implications for our understanding of society and the challenges we face in the 21st century.

Weight: 380g
Dimension: 155 x 234 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350026797