Bodies, Affects, Politics: The Clash of Bodily Regimes (RGS-IBG Book Series)

This book seeks to understand the coexistence of bodily regimes and the politics that emerge from the clash between them: Presents a novel conceptual model for understanding the relationship between bodies and affects Reworks Rancière's notions of the distribution of the sensible and the aesthetic unconscious Establishes a dynamic and multiple understanding of the repressive, distributive and communicative unconscious by rethinking Freudian psychoanalysis Utilizes a variety of empirical materials, from Hollywood movies to Freud's case studies Sets its argument about politics within the context of significant social events to ensure its conceptual and empirical material is relevant to the contemporary political moment
From the Inside Flap
Bodily regimes seek to organise and control bodies. To do so, they create various schemas that render the body identifiable and knowable. Schemas associated with blood and skin, for example, enable bodies to be assigned to proper places and then policed if they appear out of place. In the face of uncertainty over the body, the policing of bodies can become oppressive and brutal. Politics, then, emerges as a struggle against oppressive bodily regimes.
But what if bodies are governed by more than one bodily regime? Uncertainties associated with bodies proliferate, and struggles against bodily regimes emerge from the clash between bodily regimes. This book seeks to understand the coexistence of bodily regimes and the politics that emerge from the clash between them. It shows how affects are captured by these struggles. And in these struggles, Bodies, Affects, Politics sees the possibility of living bodies differently.
From the Back Cover
Bodily regimes seek to organise and control bodies. To do so, they create various schemas that render the body identifiable and knowable. Schemas associated with blood and skin, for example, enable bodies to be assigned to proper places and then policed if they appear out of place. In the face of uncertainty over the body, the policing of bodies can become oppressive and brutal. Politics, then, emerges as a struggle against oppressive bodily regimes.
But what if bodies are governed by more than one bodily regime? Uncertainties associated with bodies proliferate, and struggles against bodily regimes emerge from the clash between bodily regimes. This book seeks to understand the coexistence of bodily regimes and the politics that emerge from the clash between them. It shows how affects are captured by these struggles. And in these struggles, Bodies, Affects, Politics sees the possibility of living bodies differently.