Emotions Matter after All: How Reproductive Rights Advocates Orchestrate Emotions to Influence Policies in Peru

Abstract

Emotions clearly matter in social movements, but it is less apparent how social movement participants actively handle emotions in their line of activities. In this article, the authors address this question by examining how two reproductive rights coalitions in Peru employ and manage emotions in relation to different actors who they must deal with to influence policies. Empirical materials consist of participant observation, focus groups, and individual interviews conducted with the coalitions and their members. Grounded theory was used to analyze the data. The authors distinguish relationships with five relevant actors: The internal members of the coalitions, allies, the general public, the Catholic Church as the major opponent, and government officials as the main target. As each relationship requires distinct emotion work, coalition members simultaneously adjust to contradictory emotional expectations while actively evoking and coordinating emotions. The authors refer to this as the orcherstration of emotion work.