Scientists as agents of 'radical care': 'emotional practices' as changing the way scientists imagine themselves, their peers and, their science

This presentation explores the concept of 'agency' in the context of climate change through in-depth interviews with scientists. Drawing on Emirbayer and Mische’s (1998) definition of agency as a relational construct influenced by habit, imagination, and judgment, I investigate how scientists articulate their self-perception of agency and the emotions tied to it—such as solidarity, fear, and empowerment.

 

Leveraging anthropological scholarship on emotions (Hochschild, 1983; Scheer, 2012) and affect theory (Ahmed, 2004; Berlant, 2010), I examine how networks and practices shape these emotional experiences (Mesquita, 2022; Salmela & von Scheve, 2017, 2018). I aim to connect scientists’ reflections on their emotional engagement with emerging ideas of radical care.

 

The presentation will address the panel question: How can scientific institutions prevent reinforcing the status quo and instead contribute to radical transformations? By analyzing the sociological production of emotions within the scientific community, I hope to uncover new insights into how both movements and scientists can co-produce emotional narratives for greater collective action against climate change.