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The Emotional Politics of the Alternative Left: West Germany, 1968-1984

The Emotional Politics of the Alternative Left 
The Emotional Politics of the Alternative Left: West Germany, 1968-1984
is a new book by Dr Joachim Häberlen of the Warwick University History Department, published by Cambridge University Press.

In the 1970s, a multifaceted alternative scene developed in West Germany. At the core of this leftist scene was a struggle for feelings in a capitalist world that seemed to be devoid of any emotions. Joachim C. Häberlen offers here a vivid account of these emotional politics. The book discusses critiques of rationality and celebrations of insanity as an alternative. It explores why capitalism made people feel afraid and modern cities made people feel lonely. Readers are taken to consciousness raising groups, nude swimming at alternative vacation camps, and into the squatted houses of the early 1980s. Häberlen draws on a kaleidoscope of different voices to explore how West Germans became more concerned with their selves, their feelings, and their bodies. By investigating how leftists tried to transform themselves through emotional practices, Häberlen gives us a fresh perspective on a fascinating aspect of West German history.

Details of all the monographs and edited collection of the Warwick University History Department's academic staff are available online.

 

Thu 06 Sep 2018, 15:00 | Tags: Publication