Project Description
In this project we study different political groups, movements, and parties to better understand the role that patterns of feelings and emotions play in political activities, practices, and in the ways that people make sense of politics. PLEDGE is a European research project that aims to investigate which feelings and emotions citizens experience when thinking about or engaging with politics, which grievances or issues are most important to them, and in which ways emotions are involved in rejecting, accepting, or participating in particular forms of politics. As part of this research network, our research team at the IPU Berlin uses methods like focus groups (group discussions) and individual interviews to get into in-depth conversations with members, supporters, and leaders of different political or civil-society groups. In these conversations, we want to learn how people think and feel about particular topics, how these feelings may have changed over time and how they may be managed or regulated by oneself, or may be addressed by others. We ask what changes people want and what they feel needs to change to improve their own lives and the lives of others. Hereby, we are interested in learning more about the experiences, perspectives, and activities of people across a wide range of political perspectives and orientations. Ultimately, insights from our research should contribute to policies that are more aware of and attuned to citizens' emotions.
