Description:
Emotions make history, and they have a history. They influence historical events such as revolutions, riots and protest movements. At the same time, they are shaped by historical experiences tied to family upbringing, educational and cultural institutions, work and the home.
Writing the History of Emotions shows how emotions like love, trust, honour, pride, shame, empathy and greed have impacted historical change since the 18th century and were themselves dependent on social, political and economic environments. Importantly, this book provides a timely exploration of racialized, gendered, class-based notions of emotions. This exciting addition to Bloomsbury's successful Writing History series analyses how emotions matter in and to history, and how they are themselves objects of history. Here, leading scholar Ute Frevert eschews a traditional chronological history of emotions in favour of an innovative collection which transgresses time periods to illustrate the different emotional meanings one particular material object has had throughout history. This book sheds light on how emotions have been used, instrumentalised and manipulated both to propel and suspend democratic politics. In doing so, it opens a rich new avenue of research for the history of emotions.Brief description: Kevin Passmore is Professor of History at Cardiff University, UK.
Review Quotes:
"Frevert, perhaps the foremost authority in this area, has written the most accessible and helpful book for those curious about the history of emotions ... While serving as a superb introduction to readers unfamiliar with the history of emotions, this book will also be of value to researchers interested in the historiography and methodological practices in this emerging, vital area." --CHOICE
"Writing the History of Emotions demonstrates the potential in bringing together histories of feeling from different points in time to chart a history of evolving emotions ... Frevert provides an important stimulus for further research of this type and demonstrates the potential of stepping back from the local and particular to consider larger trends in emotional life." --Social History