B/Ordering Emotions: Fear, Insecurity and Hope

By focussing on the emotional and affective dimensions of borders, this article suggests integrating the negative emotions that the European Union (EU) states’ border politics aim to instil—including fear, anxiety and trauma—with the positive emotions that the dream of a life in Europe encourages. D...

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Main Authors: Raffaela Puggioni, Maria Julia Trombetta
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Societies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/6/168
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author Raffaela Puggioni
Maria Julia Trombetta
author_facet Raffaela Puggioni
Maria Julia Trombetta
author_sort Raffaela Puggioni
collection DOAJ
description By focussing on the emotional and affective dimensions of borders, this article suggests integrating the negative emotions that the European Union (EU) states’ border politics aim to instil—including fear, anxiety and trauma—with the positive emotions that the dream of a life in Europe encourages. Drawing upon the psychological and philosophical approaches to hope, this article highlights the centrality of hope in shaping agency, stimulating alternative visions, and overcoming difficulties. What is the impact of hope and daydreams in shaping migrants’ decision to engage with risky journeys? To what extent might the dream of Europe counterbalance the EU’s securitarian technologies? This article introduces and explores the processes of b/ordering and the role that emotions, as spatially grounded, play in it. This article will ultimately contend that, once confronted with the uncertainties of long and risky journeys and the prospect of a bright and dreamed future, the latter often prevails. Under this scenario, states’ deterrent systems might not be as effective as hoped, as the dream of Europe overrides the fear and anxiety that EU states’ border security aims to generate.
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spelling doaj-art-8a904b3e8dfa4253aa4ba14afe925e452025-08-20T03:27:22ZengMDPI AGSocieties2075-46982025-06-0115616810.3390/soc15060168B/Ordering Emotions: Fear, Insecurity and HopeRaffaela Puggioni0Maria Julia Trombetta1School of International Affairs, OP Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana 131 001, IndiaSchool of International Studies, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo 315100, ChinaBy focussing on the emotional and affective dimensions of borders, this article suggests integrating the negative emotions that the European Union (EU) states’ border politics aim to instil—including fear, anxiety and trauma—with the positive emotions that the dream of a life in Europe encourages. Drawing upon the psychological and philosophical approaches to hope, this article highlights the centrality of hope in shaping agency, stimulating alternative visions, and overcoming difficulties. What is the impact of hope and daydreams in shaping migrants’ decision to engage with risky journeys? To what extent might the dream of Europe counterbalance the EU’s securitarian technologies? This article introduces and explores the processes of b/ordering and the role that emotions, as spatially grounded, play in it. This article will ultimately contend that, once confronted with the uncertainties of long and risky journeys and the prospect of a bright and dreamed future, the latter often prevails. Under this scenario, states’ deterrent systems might not be as effective as hoped, as the dream of Europe overrides the fear and anxiety that EU states’ border security aims to generate.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/6/168mobilityMediterranean crossinghope theorysecurity and border studies
spellingShingle Raffaela Puggioni
Maria Julia Trombetta
B/Ordering Emotions: Fear, Insecurity and Hope
Societies
mobility
Mediterranean crossing
hope theory
security and border studies
title B/Ordering Emotions: Fear, Insecurity and Hope
title_full B/Ordering Emotions: Fear, Insecurity and Hope
title_fullStr B/Ordering Emotions: Fear, Insecurity and Hope
title_full_unstemmed B/Ordering Emotions: Fear, Insecurity and Hope
title_short B/Ordering Emotions: Fear, Insecurity and Hope
title_sort b ordering emotions fear insecurity and hope
topic mobility
Mediterranean crossing
hope theory
security and border studies
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/6/168
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