Introduction: The Person in Politics and Culture

Drawing together psychological anthropology and the study of political subjectivity, Friedman and Strauss explore how politics becomes part of who we are. Tracing an arc from theories of culture to theories of subjectivity, the chapter argues for the special value of a person-centered research approach that will allow theories of political subjectivity to be built up from the individual. This chapter examines a number of critical questions that are explored throughout this volume: What is the role of emotions in politics? How are political messages taken up by the public? What are the subjective consequences of conflicting political discourses? How do people’s identities relate to politics? What are the subjectivities of political bystanders? How do people become politically active? How do we explain populist politics?