Affective Turn

Definition

The affective turn refers to a shift in various fields, including performance studies, where the focus moves towards understanding the role of affect and emotion in human experience and interactions. This approach emphasizes how feelings influence our perceptions, decisions, and behaviors, particularly in performances that evoke emotional responses from both performers and audiences. The affective turn seeks to explore the connections between affect, emotion, and cultural practices, highlighting their importance in shaping identity and social relations.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The affective turn emerged in the late 20th century as scholars began to critique the dominance of rationality in understanding human behavior.
2. This shift has influenced various disciplines, including psychology, sociology, and cultural studies, by integrating emotional experiences into analysis.
3. In performance studies, the affective turn examines how performances can evoke strong feelings and create shared emotional experiences between performers and audiences.
4. The emphasis on affect allows for a deeper understanding of how performances impact social change and identity formation through emotional engagement.
5. The affective turn challenges traditional notions of representation by prioritizing lived experiences and emotional responses over mere intellectual understanding.

Review Questions

• How does the affective turn reshape our understanding of human interactions in performance?
  • The affective turn reshapes our understanding of human interactions in performance by highlighting how emotions play a crucial role in shaping experiences and connections between performers and audiences. It emphasizes that performances are not just about conveying information but also about eliciting feelings that can influence perceptions and behaviors. This perspective allows for a richer analysis of how performances can foster empathy, provoke reactions, and create shared emotional landscapes.
• Discuss the implications of prioritizing affect over rationality in cultural analysis related to performance.
  • Prioritizing affect over rationality in cultural analysis related to performance has significant implications as it encourages scholars to consider the emotional undercurrents that shape human experiences. This approach acknowledges that feelings can drive actions and societal changes more powerfully than rational arguments alone. By focusing on how performances evoke emotional responses, researchers can uncover deeper meanings and connections within cultural practices that might otherwise be overlooked.
• Evaluate the impact of the affective turn on traditional concepts of representation within performance studies.
  • The affective turn significantly impacts traditional concepts of representation within performance studies by challenging the idea that performances solely represent ideas or narratives. Instead, it posits that performances are dynamic events that generate emotional experiences capable of reshaping audience perceptions. This shift invites a reevaluation of how we interpret performances, emphasizing that the emotional engagement they invoke can lead to new understandings of identity, power dynamics, and social relations.

Related terms

Affect: Affect is the experience of feeling or emotion that is often considered as a pre-conscious response to stimuli, influencing behavior and social interactions.

Emotion: Emotion refers to complex psychological states that involve subjective experience, physiological response, and behavioral or expressive response.

Embodiment: Embodiment is the expression and experience of being physically present in the world, highlighting how our bodies interact with emotions and affects.