Horton, J. and Kraftl, P. (2009) Small acts, kind words and "not too much fuss": implicit activisms. Emotion, Space and Society. 2(1), pp. 14-23. 1755-4586.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Abstract: | In this paper, we suggest that social scientists' accounts of ‘activism’ have too often tended to foreground and romanticise the grandiose, the iconic, and the unquestionably meaning-ful, to the exclusion of different kinds of ‘activism’. Thus, while there is a rich social-scientific literature chronicling a social history of insurrectionary protests and key figures/thinkers, we suggest that there is more to ‘activism’ (and there are more kinds of ‘activism’) than this. In short, we argue that much can be learnt from what we term implicit activisms which – being small-scale, personal, quotidian and proceeding with little fanfare – have typically gone uncharted in social-scientific understanding of ‘activism’. This paper will reflect upon one example of this kind of ‘implicit’ activism, by re-presenting findings from interviews undertaken with 150 parents/carers, during an evaluation of a ‘Sure Start’ Centre in the East Midlands, UK. From these interviews emerged a sense of how the Centre (and the parents/carers, staff and material facilities therein) had come to matter profoundly to these parents/carers. We suggest that these interviews extend and unsettle many social-scientific accounts of ‘activism’ in three key senses. First: in evoking the specific kinds of everyday, personal, affective bonds which lead people to care. Second: in evoking the kinds of small acts, words and gestures which can instigate and reciprocate/reproduce such care. And third: in suggesting how such everyday, affective bonds and acts can ultimately constitute political activism and commitment, albeit of a kind which seeks to proceed with ‘not too much fuss’. |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Activism, emotion, Sure Start |
| Subjects: |
H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Women > HQ767 Children. Child development J Political Science > JF Political institutions (General) > JF799 Political rights. Political participation H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology > HV697 Protection, assistance and relief > HV701 Children |
| Creators: | Horton, John and Kraftl, Peter |
| Publisher: | Elsevier |
| Faculties, Divisions and Institutes: |
University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Research Centre > The Centre for Children and Youth Research Centres > Centre for Psychology and Social Sciences |
| Date: | 2009 |
| Date Type: | Publication |
| Page Range: | pp. 14-23 |
| Journal or Publication Title: | Emotion, Space and Society |
| Volume: | 2 |
| Number: | 1 |
| Language: | English |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emospa.2009.05.003 |
| ISSN: | 1755-4586 |
| Status: | Published / Disseminated |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| URI: | http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/id/eprint/2501 |
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