[ecrea] Affective Capitalism symposium, Finland

AFFECTIVE CAPITALISM SYMPOSIUM
5-6 JUNE 2014
UNIVERSITY OF TURKU, FINLAND
Janus Auditorium, Sirkkala Campus, University of Turku
Address: Kaivokatu 12, Turku

This symposium aims at describing and understanding a regime we call 
affective capitalism. In cultural theory, affect is considered to be a 
fruitful concept in analysing how something evokes our body and mind. 
Affect makes us act. Affect exceeds or precedes rationality. In our 
daily lives we are constantly affected by a plethora of things; our 
work, our friends, our surroundings, our technologies (Gregg & Seigworth 
2010). Unsurprisingly perhaps, we are seeing attempts to capture affect 
in different fields of contemporary culture from labour to social 
networks and politics. In these contexts, affect and affection are in an 
extensive manner organised, produced, and maintained for the needs of 
capitalism. Affective capitalism is lucrative, tempting and even sneaky. 
It merges with established therapeutic discourses and blurs the limits 
of intimacy at work (Ross 2003; Illouz 2007; Gregg 2011). Affective 
investments online such as blogging and facebooking are measured and 
quantified in order to produce value for the market and users themselves 
(Hearn 2010). Affective capitalism is both cognitive and non-cognitive 
(Sampson 2012); we are being evoked to act in order for companies to 
make profits in a market economy. Affective capitalism transforms us 
into assets, goods and services by appealing to our desires, needs and 
social relationships, or by making us act on a mere gut-feeling.

This two-day symposium brings together researchers, thinkers and artists 
to discuss different areas of affective capitalism. We want to challenge 
affective capitalism on its own ground. To do this we will analyse 
specific examples of affective capitalism at work and map its defining 
factors. We are seeking new ways to understand affective capitalism 
through its ambivalences and complexities. At the same time, we ask how 
we could resist it and develop alternatives for it.

Keynotes:
Alison Hearn, University of Western Ontario: "Affective Measures: Klout, 
Social Scoring and the Glamour of the Analytic"
Tony D. Sampson, University of East London: "Affective Capitalism and 
the Brain: From Tarde to Neuroculture"

The symposium is free to attend, but we ask you to register by 30 May 
via e-mail to (affcap /at/ utu.fi).

For more information on the programme, location and other practicalities 
see http://affectivecapitalism.wordpress.com/

The symposium is organised by two research groups, Capitalism & 
Affective Labour, and financed by the School of History, Culture and 
Arts Studies at the University of Turku.



Programme

THURSDAY 5.6.2014

9.00 - 9.30
Opening of the Symposium: Affective Capitalism (Janus Auditorium)

9.30 - 10.30
Keynote: Alison Hearn (Janus Auditorium)
Affective Measures: Klout, Social Scoring and the Glamour of the Analytic

10.30 - 11.00
Break (coffee & tea served at the lobby)

11.00 - 12.45
Panel 1: Soft Capitalism
Anu Kantola: Enthusiastic Individualism as a Style of Power in Soft 
Capitalism
Mona Mannevuo: Caught in a Bad Romance? Love and Academic Capitalism
Shinji Oyama: Entering Brandscape: Customer Experience Management as 
Affective Capitalism

12.45 - 14.15
Lunch

14.15 - 16.00
Panel 2: Networked Transactions
John Carter McKnight & Adam Fish: Social Media and the Financialization 
of the Everyday
Gaby David: Selfies, Snapchat and Capital: Affect in the Age of 
Ephemeral Reproduction
Tero Karppi & Kate Crawford: Social Media, Financial Algorithms, and The 
Case of The @AP Twitter Hack

16.00 - 16.30
Break (coffee & tea served at the lobby)

16.30 - 18.15
Panel 3: Affects of Labour
Tyler Hinson: The General Affect: The Ambient Basin of Graphic Design 
Work and the Labour Power of Potentiality
Tanja Sihvonen & Milla Tiainen: “I am Gonna Stay Tonight with You” – 
Maria’s GentleWhispering: Voice, Affect and Gendered Digital Work
Shi Wei: The politics of Emotion: Study of Macau's Migrant Workers

FRIDAY 6.6.2014

10.00 - 11.45
Panel 4: Consuming Emotions
Anne Graefer: The Labour of Being Funny: Affect and Humour on Celebrity 
Gossip Blogs
Stephanie Rothenberg: Art in the Age of Crowdfunded Production
Annamari Vänskä: Luxury Consumption on Lap Dogs: A Case of Emotional 
Consumption

11.45- 13.15
Lunch

13.15 - 14.15
Keynote: Tony D. Sampson
Affective Capitalism and the Brain: From Tarde to Neuroculture

14.15 - 14.45
Break (coffee & tea served at the lobby)

14.45 - 16.30 Panel 5: Knowledge and Capitalism
Isto Huvila: Affective Capitalism of Knowing
Venla Oikkonen: Commercialized Belonging: Genetic Ancestry Tests as 
Affective Technologies

16.30 - 17.00
Closing of the Symposium


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