Social Economies of Fear and Desire - by V Nicol (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

All behaviours, indeed all forms of agency, are viewed as emotionally-driven. This book provides an approach to emotional experience and agency which drastically nuances the commonly held view that fear has predominantly irrational, morally, or ideologically suspect effects which thwart the exercise of autonomy.

Review Quotes

'Valérie de Courville Nicol's work makes a vital contribution to an emerging literature on emotion. Through her explication of power, self, and emotion, de Courville creates an innovative, empirically grounded, and interdisciplinary theoretical approach to the study of the self in society. Her groundbreaking work sheds light on a wide range of contemporary issues, from securitization to the self-help movement. Through the lens of emotion, de Courville's work represents a major breakthrough in one of the most fundamental and unresolved debates in social science: how and when do people exercise agency?' Lori G. Beaman, Professor of Classics and Religious Studies, University of Ottawa

'This is a sharp, analytically rigorous book that places suffering at the centre of emotional experience. De Courville skillfully shows how fear and desire shape moral life, and in so doing, she gives us a useful theory of embodied in/capacity that is an alternative to dominant approaches to understanding how emotions infuse social action.' Melanie White, Senior Lecturer in Social Theory, University of New South Wales

'De Courville propels the expanding interest in the sociology of emotions. She does so in a way that argues that the modern emotional experience is not focused only on fear and anxiety, but that today pleasure and excitement also shape our emotional experience and responsibilizes our conduct.' Alan Hunt, professor of Sociology and Law, CarletonUniversity

'This book destabilizes the dualisms (e.g. nature versus culture, fight versus flight) that have limited the sociology of emotions for so long. The innovative concepts and the critical focus on power and morality will appeal to all social and cultural researchers interested in emotions.' Kevin Walby, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Victoria; Co-editor of Emotions Matter

About the Author

VALÉRIE DE COURVILLE NICOL Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology & Anthropology at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.