Emotions and Political Change
Presented by Dr Emma Hutchison
Emotions abound and pervade contemporary local and global politics. From refugees and Indigenous recognition to populism and international conflict, emotions are powerful forces that divide and unite societies. In this lecture, Dr Hutchison discusses these and other key political and ethical issues through her existing and future research. She traces the crucial roles emotions play in shaping political phenomena, agendas and priorities. To do so, she discusses the emergence, evolution and current role of humanitarianism in world politics. Here she shows how emotions not only frame and constrain the practice of humanitarian responsibility but can also generate changes in norms and practices. Dr Hutchison will then reflect more generally on how an appreciation of emotions can help us to better understand the key challenges of our day and, in turn, work towards more reflexive and potentially just social and political change.The Academy’s 2019 Paul Bourke Lecture by Dr Emma Hutchison is kindly hosted by the University of Queensland.