Description: This book presents new empirical studies of social difference in the Nordic welfare states, in order to advance novel theoretical perspectives on the everyday practices and macro-politics of race and gender in multi-ethnic societies. With attention to the specific political and cultural landscapes of the Nordic countries, Affectivity and Race draws on a variety of sources, including television programmes, news media, fictional literature, interviews, ethnographic observations, teaching curricula and policy documents, to explore the ways in which ideas about affectivity and emotion afford new insights into the experience of racial difference and the unfolding of political discourses on race in various social spheres.
Review Quotes: 'The meaning of racial formation remains a contested question in the Nordic countries where colorblind ideologies silence and trouble conversations on race. This book provides a timely and unique contribution that enables new understandings of the centrality of race and whiteness in a Nordic context.' Lene Myong, Aarhus University, Denmark 'In social imaginaries the Nordic region is understood through exceptionalisms: idealized and homogenous societies where gender equality, social welfare, and anti-racism provide an exceptionally good life for all citizens. This excellent collection of essays critically examines these self-images through concepts of race and affect. Anyone interested in the ways in which race - particularly whiteness - is (re)produced through affect and emotion would benefit from this book.' Karina Horsti, University of Jyväskylä, Finland