Affective Economies

Yet another theory for me to check out. Here are my early explorations. Nothing of value to others yet. But this helps me to store my thinking and come back to it. 

Ahmed, S. (2004). Affective economies. Social text, 22(2), 117-139.

• Need to get article.

Fontefrancesco, M. F. (2025). Rural Affective Economies: An Ethnographic Approach to Local Development in Rural Italy. Palgrave Macmillan.

• Abstract: This book delves into the development trajectories of rural Europe, with a specific focus on Italy. The book addresses the key challenges rural communities face and explores the potential for grassroots development. The concept of affective economy is central to the book, which is introduced and utilized to analyze these dynamics. The book assesses local food heritage and agrifood chains to showcase how these elements can serve as pillars for sustainable local development. It provides tools and methodologies for identifying and documenting food heritage, offering practical insights for public and private stakeholders interested in fostering local economic growth, and shows how emotional and social bonds within communities can drive sustainable growth. This book is a must-read for academics and practitioners passionate about sustainable development who want to envision concrete strategies for rural development.
• My initial thoughts whether to read more or not: This seems like a good study to think about Jeolla and its food/agricultural impact on South Korea. It might help understand and nuance, Korea as Method, Jeolla as Method, Gwangju as Method. 

Park, J., Lee, S., & Park, Y. (2025). A collaborative autoethnography of early-career scholars’ becoming in the field of curriculum studies in South Korea. Critical Studies in Education, 1-18.

• Abstract: This study examines the formation of scholar-subjectivities among early-career scholars in the field of curriculum studies in South Korea. By employing a collaborative autoethnographic approach, this study explores the ways the assemblage of the Korean field of curriculum studies attempts to territorialize scholars, their responses to such territorializing efforts, and the consequent formation of their scholar-subjectivities. Specifically, the inquiry is guided by Gilles Deleuze’s concepts to examine the multi-faceted and intricate process of becoming-scholars, as well as the potential of new emerging scholar-subjectivities. The analysis reveals that the assemblage of the field makes it seemingly ineluctable for early-career scholars to engage in scholarly endeavors that yield solutions relevant to the design and implementation of the national curriculum. In this milieu, however, they did either slightly modify or frustrate the field’s demands, thereby altering the boundaries of ‘curriculum studies’ according to their unique situational landscapes. Moreover, they attempted to develop novel frameworks for doing curriculum studies divergent from the dominant academic grammars. These efforts are noteworthy for their role in experimenting with possibilities for knowledge creation on the fringes of academia, thereby facilitating the advancement of the field.
  
• Why I should read more? This area of teacher identity, or in this case early scholar identity, comes across as too static to me. So much is written about this area and always it is talking to old positivistic approaches still permeating academics. But this paper i think would offer some insights in how these writers are trying to dig out of positivistic approaches and into their own grounded theories. 

Song, J. (2025). Empowering Non-Native English Teachers by Advocating for Emotional Resistance against Inequalities. Criticality, Agency, and Language Teacher Identities: Research and Praxis from Global Teacher Education.

• The article is not online, not even an abstract. I read the abstract for the book and looked at the TOC. It's interesting, but not necessarily relevant to the Affective Economies theorization I'm wanting to know more about. 

Kwon, H. (2025). Trauma and Art Pedagogy: Witnessing Through Embodied, Affective, and Memory Work by Women Living in Transitional Homes. Studies in Art Education, 66(1), 32-52.

• Abstract: Informed by critical trauma theory and by implementing modified principles of trauma-informed care approaches, I conducted art pedagogical practices for women in transitional homes who may have experienced trauma. These artistic practices that possibly enabled their witnessing focused on embodiment, affect, and memory, challenging the traditional discourses on trauma and designated norms for appropriate subjectivity, affect, and narrative related to trauma. By reconfiguring trauma as a cultural phenomenon, not only as a personal experience, I suggest how the field of art education has the potential to facilitate memory work that enables memories—including traumatic ones—to become a site of negotiation, struggle, and meaning-making.
• Why should I read more? While this doesn't really match my wanting to know more about affective economies, I am interested to find out how the author reframes trauma as a culture phenomenon rather than a personal manifestation. 

Sauz, A., Adamos, J. C., Nicdao, C. A. L., & Quia, M. F. G. (2025). Mediating Intimacy: The K-pop Industry’s Commercialization of Parasocial Relationship Between Adolescent Filipino Fans and Their Male Idols via Weverse Application.

• Abstract: The prevalence of the K-pop industry’s globalization has risen over time, using the digital age to expand its presence in the market. Understanding the factors influencing the consumption patterns and parasocial relationships fans experience brings awareness to the possible causes of fixation in the K-pop industry’s capitalization. However, research about the Weverse app as a medium for capitalizing on parasocial relationships among adolescent Filipino K-pop fans is limited. This study’s objective is to investigate the commercialization of parasocial relationships between adolescent Filipino fans and their male idols through the Weverse application. Data were gathered through a Focus Group Discussion and analyzed by identifying recurring themes among participants’ answers guided by Parasocial Theory, Affective Economies, and Consumer Culture Theory. Findings revealed that exclusive content, fan-idol interactions, and membership benefits influence fans’ emotional and financial investments. Therefore, capitalizing on the parasocial relationships fostered in the Weverse app. While some fans acknowledge fan-idol interactions as an idol’s work, their emotional attachment remains a significant motivator for app consumption. Fans’ perspectives on parasocial relationships varied from one-sided relationships to a belief of mutual acknowledgment through fandom identity. The findings suggest that the Weverse app’s exclusivity impacts consumer behavior, affecting fans’ willingness to consume from the app. Thus, to be financially responsible consumers, fans should be aware of the extent of their emotional investment in their idols.
• Should I read more? K-culture and how its being studied already is an area i need to read around in. I feel though that I have already read about this. Maybe for one of my theory diaries. Anyways I am curious to see (again) how they set up their conceptual frame.