The affective paradox in populist online communities: Emotional capital and emotional liability

Abstract

Various studies demonstrate that emotions may both facilitate and complicate political mobilization. We study the role of emotions for supporters of populist, largely far-right, online movements. Using life history interviews, we show how 20 Twitter users in the United States and Sweden navigate emotion. Highlighting their ideal of rationality, they often see emotions as a liability, yet large parts of their mobilization are motivated by emotional appeals, revealing the paradoxical role of emotions in these communities. Studying how emotional capital and emotional liability operate in these online communities helps us understand increased polarization, mobilization, and positioning, both online and offline.