Session Submission Summary
Share...

Direct link:

272. Emotional and Intimate Variations: Historicizing and Contextualizing Affect Amid Changing Political Economies in Mainland Southeast Asia, Part 2. Sponsored by the Thailand/Laos/Cambodia Studies Group

Sat, March 18, 3:00 to 5:00pm, Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, Floor: Mezzanine, Willow Centre

Session Submission Type: Organized Panel

Abstract

This two-part panel explores an underrepresented dimension of changing political economies: that of emotions (See Gammerl 2012, Reddy 2008). By taking this approach, we move away from essentialized approaches in which an “emotional style” is permanently linked to a “culture”. The papers in this double panel cover work from all three countries of the Thailand/Laos/Cambodia group as well as Tai groups in Vietnam. The goal of the panel is to deconstruct fixed notions of emotions and explore variations in emotional practices based on political-economic circumstances that differ either over time (historically) or between social groups (such as dominant and subordinate groups). The panel includes both senior and junior scholars and graduate students from different institutions (U.S., Germany, Australia, Canada, Thailand) as well as different fields such as anthropology and political science.
Part Two, while also considering political economic contexts, views emotions from a different lens—that of the appropriation of emotions. Cassaniti looks at how Thai emotions in rural, everyday life, differ from representations used by the government. Yukti looks at how a love story from ethnic Tai is used by the Vietnamese government. Sirichinda looks at the use of emotions in recent Thai political conflicts. Estevez notes the “Laotisation” process which attenuates emotional coping mechanisms such as spirit possession among the Lanten in Laos.

Area of Study

Session Organizer

Chair

Individual Presentations

Discussant