Affective learning: The role of affect in understanding representations of sexuality in postfeminist television series

Abstract

This article is a theoretical exploration of the nuanced connections between the notion of affect and representations of sexuality in postfeminist television series. Drawing on gender studies, media studies and affect theory, it addresses the manifestation of postfeminist ideals in popular media and how it shapes the audience's understanding of gender and sexuality, acknowledging the complex negotiation of sexual identities, and emphasising the role of affective experiences in viewer engagement and interpretation of sexual scripts. Contributing to the ongoing dialogue on feminism, media, and affect theory, the study theoretically examines the affective dimensions of postfeminist learning to enhance comprehension of emotional responses to depictions of sex on contemporary television, using the series Fleabag as an illustrative example.