| Abstract [eng] |
"The Role of Emotions in Mobilization of Society to Fight Climate Change: Constructing Emotional State to Inspire Mass Movement" The research paper The Role of Emotions in Mobilization of Society to Fight Climate Change: Constructing Emotional State to Inspire Mass Movement examines the emotions as a tool to mobilize society for a common goal in the case of climate change strike initiated by Greta Thunberg. As the “emotional turn” in international relations receives increasing attention among the scientists, recent re-search of this field called for a deeper analysis of emotions in social movements as well as empirical exploration of how specific emotional states of groups are constructed. This paper raises the question of how favourable emotional environment in Greta Thunberg’s case was constructed in order to mobi-lize international society to join the climate change strike. The aim of this study is to reveal the process of collectivization of emotions encouraged by the young leader who inspired mass mobilization around the world. Based on constructivism approach and the theoretical model linking the emotions and social movements, it is assumed in the paper that emotions were used as a tool to create specific emotional environment in the society which inspired international community to join Greta’s climate strike. Dis-course analysis implemented by applying methodological model of Emotional Discourse Analysis (EDA) revealed that G. Thunberg’s speeches are full of emotional potential which is harnessed to provoke emotions such as fear, anger and hope in the global society. Moreover, it is found that specif-ic emotional discourse invoked by the speaker contributed to strengthening the conflict between the political elite and society by creating negative image of political leaders as unfair and failing while the general public is depicted as those who deserve the cleaner planet and justice. Research paper also draws the conclusion that discourse full of emotional potential allows the speaker to create stronger connection with the audience and hence encourage its actions which supports the goal of the agent. It was shown that specific emotional environment that encouraged mobilization for the climate change strike was constructed by provoking reactive emotions in the society and became collectivized due to presented injustice-based framing of the problem and particular images of the critical current situation and possibly brighter future as well as the dichotomy between political elite and world society. This study contributes to the research field of emotions in international relations by exploring in more depth the link of emotions, its collectivization and international social movements. It reveals the use of emotions as a strategic instrument which facilitated the achievement of the political goal as well as demonstrated highly important role of emotions in the process of mobilization by showing how the international society was united on emotional basis to fight climate change. The research can be developed by analyzing the process of collectivization of emotions in more detail by studying specific emotion or deepening the research of emotional mobilization from the perspective of power relations among the groups. |
