15137

SoSe 21: From Micro to Macro: Emotions and Cognition in IR and Sociology

Jelena Cupac Irem Ebetürk

Comments

The two instructors of this course come from two different disciplines: Sociology and International Relations (IR). This course seeks to build bridges between these two disciplines with a specific focus on emotions and related cognitive processes. In the first section of this course, we will first discuss emotions with a socio-political focus. After briefly touching upon micro-level constructions and management of emotions, we will focus on the political sociology of emotions. How are political emotions constructed? How social movements or political parties mobilize and/or use emotions? What are the political repercussions of the mobilization of emotions? These are some of the main questions we aim to discuss in the first part. The second part of the course looks at how emotions work at the international level. This realm has long been believed to be the exclusive preserve of rational and strategic action, but scholars increasingly demonstrate that emotions and related cognitive processes play an important role in shaping international outcomes. Accordingly, the course looks at how emotions are implicated in classical international relations themes--war, peace, diplomacy, international institutions, and humanitarian aid. close