Send message to Author

Paper short abstract:

The paper analyzes relations between the formation of sensory communities and the production of collective identities in far-right milieu, what is possible by the emergence of collective emotions and determine the potential success of the group in the fight for own vision of the future.

Paper long abstract:

Non-political, random signals, such as smells or images, can evoke emotions with political consequences (Isbell, Ottati 2002), influencing the assessment of the situation, behavior, and attitudes. Similarly, sharing certain specific sensory impressions may result in the emergence of emotions that form the framework of a collective identity, including the political one. The display of emotions can be supported by interacting elements of the environment. Sensory stimuli can be used to generate, strengthen certain moods or perpetuate those already existing, which is particularly visible in the case of public demonstrations, but also in communities formed around the so-called musical “identity scene”. New possibilities of expression influences also ways of absorbing specific contents - manipulation of elements affecting the senses can be useful in achieving particular political goals, it is therefore possible to create an emotional resonance in the collective mind by creating an appropriate "scenography". Looking at the areas of creating sensual communities by members of the right-wing movements, with particular emphasis on groups actively operating in Poland, I will try to analyze the relationship of the sensory sphere with the embodiment of emotions and the production of collective identities by enhancing the sense of belonging to a group, and thus contributing to the transformation of this community and in effect –the broader part of society. I will also try to answer the question of how sensory stimuli can contain or provoke references to the basic experiences of the group, thus enhancing the message and overtone of specific contents or symbols.